Class lecture #1

Class lecture - culture

The lecture about culture was very interesting and appealing to me because I think about culture a lot and I am often involved in conversations that are about different cultures. This lecture further solidified my view on culture and the kind of influence it has on the people. It does not only influence people’s traditions and behaviors, but also how they view and analyze things around them. Another reason why I liked this lecture was that it was somewhat in parallel with the “Beauty” lecture we had earlier because culture also influences what you perceive to be beautiful to some extent.

Paper #1

Option 4: Learning Wisdom In Old Age

            According to the Webster dictionary, Wisdom is a good sense of judgment and insight. The quote states that without the required wisdom, the decisions that one makes can have significant repercussions and decisions that are supposed to lead to happiness could end up causing the opposite. The lack of the ability to make good judgment on important things can be very dangerous because of this and could even decide between life and death in some situations. Creon’s decisions throughout the play are not based on his wisdom, but on his pride, which leads to him losing everyone that is important to him and he does not understand that he is making bad judgments until the end, when it is too late.

            The quote also warns of big words and making bold statements because they will always be punished. By making bold statements that aren’t thought through and can’t be followed through on for certain, one already sets oneself up to be punished. If the statements are not followed through with or things don’t happen as predicted, the results will always backfire on whoever made them and will always at least damage the pride or credibility of that person.

            Pride is the high opinion of one’s own importance or superiority. Although pride can be beneficial in some situations it can also do harm, by interfering with one’s judgment of other situations. Because it often impairs the ability of making good judgment, pride and wisdom usually don’t fit together. Where decisions based on wisdom usually cause a generally positive outcome, the decisions based on pride will only turn out an immediate positive outcome for one’s own benefit only. The quote states that proud men will learn to be wise in old age because it is only after the immediate effects wear off, that one can see, whether the decision has been a good one or not and influences future decision making.

            The quote is significant to the play because it is a summary to what has happened to Creon during the course of the play. It shows how Creon did not understand the consequences of his decisions until the very end, when it was too late for him to change his mind. While he continued to refuse to reconsider his actions because of his pride, Creon was unable to see that he was creating his own doom. By denying the burial of Polyneices he was losing the respect of his niece, Antigone, who still wanted to bury. Though Antigone buried Polyneices because of her religious views and sorrow for the tragedy that has befallen her family, Creon thinks that she was challenging him personally by breaking the very first law that he has made as the ruler of Thebes. Because of this he sentenced her to death and through that was also losing his son and ultimately his wife.

            One of the reasons why Creon was so stubborn about this was that he did not want to change his mind based on a female’s doubts towards him. This was such an important matter because of the time when this play takes place. It was common that men were dominant and that women were subject to their decisions because they weren’t thought of as equal to men then. Because of this he felt challenged by something less than another equal person, which he took as a personal attack on himself. For that reason Creon thought that Antigone was disrespecting him and made it impossible for him to back down from her or even consider what she had to tell him.

            Creon was so set in his ways that he would not even listen to his son, Haemon, who was engaged with Antigone. When he asked him not to kill her, Creon tells him, that he should be loyal to his father, no matter what his decisions are and refuses to accept what he has to tell him. Haemon was even the first person to point to his father how his actions are unjust and that it might come back to haunt him, when he told him, that the city’s population was of a different opinion than him. Creon answered by saying that he would not listen to him because he is a lot younger than him and cannot have the same wisdom. He also argued that he, as the ruler of Thebes did not have to listen to its people. Haemon was also the first to point out that he would have to grow to be wiser, when he said “Do you see what a young man’s words these are of yours?” (Booth 1149).

            It is not until the very end, when it was already too late for Creon to change anything, that he understands the consequences that his decisions have and that he has not made those decisions based on his wisdom, but on his pride. he finally understood what he has done, when he says that he is the one that killed his son and his wife, who have actually killed themselves.

            The significance of this quote is that is not only applicable to the play, but also in real life. Most people have based a decision on their pride at least once in their life and could see the mistake that this could be, when they had to take care of the consequences later on. Some people have learned to be wise after a decision that they have made, based on their pride, which has left them to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. This could include  that someone has challenged them to do something that they have agreed to do because of their pride and has left them with some kind of serious injury or even inability. One of the most common examples of such decisions nowadays is that they have agreed to a race and crashed their car during that race.

Class Reflection

Class Reflection

This class was very different was very different from any other English classes I have taken before, whether in high school or on a college level, almost from the start. In all my previous classes it was more of a daily chore for me to show up for the lecture because I was never really interested in literature and my professors weren’t able to spark that interest in me either. When I missed a class session in Professor Brady’s class however I always kind of regretted it because I felt that I might have missed another interesting lecture. I even felt like I could have missed a fishbowl although I usually am not very fond of those kinds of lessons.

            The way that Professor Brady taught this class was very appealing to me because it didn’t just include her standing in front of the class and lecturing us about literature in a monotone way or by having the class read stories in session. By making the lessons interactive with the students and including things that we can relate to, she made the subject really interesting. My view of literature has changed very dramatically because of how I was included in these lectures and how it was really expected of me and the other students that we would share our thoughts and ideas with the class. This also achieves that I actually take some time to think about the views of the other students as well as thinking more about literature in my free time.

            Although I enjoyed reading poems and literature before attending this class, I rarely took the time to do so. I cannot explain how this came to be, but I am reading more than I have before and I’m actually thinking about maybe starting to write myself. I really appreciate the time that Professor Brady has invested in her lectures and unconventional style of teaching an English class, because I actually feel like I have benefitted from it a lot.

Paper #2

The Dangers of Missing Communication

Communicating effectively is a powerful very useful ability humans have. It can prevent or decide wars, it helps sports teams to be successful, and keeps relationships intact. Choosing not to communicate with one another can however cause serious problems. In the stories “Interpreter of maladies” and “Hills Like White Elephants” there are several issues that the characters have and don’t talk about, that can have a bad outcome in the future of their relationships. This lack of communication can not only be dangerous to relationships, but also to global security. The inconsistent comments that the Japanese government makes about their nuclear reactors in Fukushima with the constant danger of their meltdown and how the Russian government made similar statements 25 years ago before one of the reactors in Chernobyl had a meltdown are good proof of this.

            In “The Interpreter of Maladies” the characters of Mr. Kapasi is frustrated with the failures he had in his life and feels guilty for not being able to give his wife the life he wants her to have. Mr. Kapasi actually wanted to become an interpreter for diplomats and dignitaries, but is now stuck with giving tours in English and interpreting between a doctor and his patients. He is working in these jobs for his wife’s well being, who however dislikes his jobs because they remind her of her deceased son. This situation creates a constant tension between Mr. Kapasi and his wife, which cannot be resolved because Mr. Kapasi feels like he cannot talk to his wife about it.

            Because Mr. Kapasi feels unappreciated by his wife and because of the to him seemingly irresolvable problems he has with her, Mr. Kapasi is insecure in his relationship and even says “He wondered if Mr. and Mrs. Das were a bad match, just as he and his wife were” (Lahiri 53).  This seemingly makes him open for other relationships that actually make him feel accomplished, like with Mrs. Das in this story. Unlike Mrs. Kapasi, Mrs. Das shows interest in Mr. Kapasi’s work, which in turn makes him believe that she is also interested in him. From that point on Mr. Kapasi creates a relationship with Mrs. Das in his fantasy and only refers back to his wife in a negative manner.

            Mrs. Das has a similar background story to Mr. Kapasi in that they both had dreams for their futures and had to give them up because of their families. After graduating from college the Das couple had a child very soon, which forced her to stay at home and take care of it. Mrs. Das was frustrated because she had to put her life on hold, while her husband started teaching. Instead of talking about her problems she kept them to herself and eventually let herself be seduced by a friend of her husband and got pregnant from him. When she tells Mr. Kapasi about this, she says that she has been feeling guilt for last eight years.

            Unlike Mr. Kapasi’s relationship with his wife the frustration and lack of communication with his wife had already mostly destroyed the relationship between Mrs. and Mr. Das. If Mrs. Das would have talked to her husband about how she feels eight years earlier and made an effort to make a change, there is a good chance that it would have saved her relationship with her husband, she might not have been seduced so easily and forced to carry that guilt with her for all those years.

            In “Hills Like White Elephants” the characters are presenting a good example of bad communication, that can lead to an unhappy future. The man in the story repeatedly says that he is worried about the relationship between him and that the baby that the girl is having is changing it in a bad way. Even if it is unclear why it is a problem to him, it is very clear that he is actually the only one who has a problem with having the baby.

            The girl in the story constantly gives in to his request although it seems that she doesn’t really want to get an abortion. She feels like she would lose the love of the man if she did not do it. She is visibly insecure throughout the whole story and even seems to have given up on herself seems to be willing to do anything to keep the relationship intact when she says “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me” (Hemingway 117). “And If I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?” (Hemingway 115).

            If the girl handles every situation where she disagrees with her husband in this kind of way, it could actually lead to a bad ending. She could one day be reminded of the fact that she is the one who constantly makes sacrifices for their relationship and maybe decide that the relationship is not good for her. There is also a possibility that this could lead to a similar relationship issue as Mrs. Das has in “The Interpreter of Maladies.” If she and her husband would however speak out what they really think though, they could resolve their issues in a way that benefits them both and makes them both happy in the end.

            The lack of communication can not only have negative effects on relationships, but can also cause global problems. After a nuclear plant accident in Chernobyl 25 years ago, the Russian government constantly assured the public that they had everything under control and that they don’t need any help in preventing an actual reactor meltdown. It was only after it was too late for international help and the safe evacuation of the people that lived around the power plant that the government announced that the reactor was actually already leaking large amounts of radiation. As a result of this many people were diagnosed with radiation sickness and some even died as a result of this. There is a large zone around the nuclear power plant are now deserted and still contaminated and the rate of children being born with disabilities has greatly increased from the people that were affected by the disaster.

            Japan is trying to avoid the same disaster today, as three of their nuclear reactors in Fukushima are in danger of also melting down. Japan is however handling this situation differently than the Russian government 25 years ago, by evacuating the surrounding area of the power plant and keeping the public informed of what is happening. The Japanese government is limiting the possible disastrous outcome through its communication and preventative measures, although it is not sure whether a meltdown can actually be averted or not.

             The communication between humans and government is important to a good future, whether for couples in relationships or between governments. Without this the ties between people or countries can suffer heavily and even lead to disasters and disputes. The aforementioned examples from the literary works and governments attest to this in a very clear way. 

Paper #3

The family of music and poetry

Music and poetry are closely related in such a way that music uses the same literary techniques as poetry does. These techniques enable the singer to communicate his ideas with the listener in the same way as a poet does with the readers of his poems. These parallels can even be drawn out of direct comparisons between songs and poems. Although “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” and “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone” are poems by two different poets, they can be compared to each other and to the song “Un-break my heart” by Toni Braxton. The theme and tone of the poems and the song make this possible because they are so alike.

            The loss of a loved one, whether by death or by being left behind, is a common theme and is the theme of both of the poems and the song discussed here. The husband of the speaker in Ezra Pound “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” has left her behind for a very long time because of his job as a merchant. The loved ones of the speaker in W. H. Auden’s “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone” and the singer in Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak my heart” however, have been lost to death. While this theme only becomes clear in the later parts of Pound’s poem, because of her style, it is very clear from the start in the song and especially in Auden’s poem, when the speaker says “Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.” (Auden 470).

Because the negative themes of these works are alike, the tones of them are very similar as well.The tone in “The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” the theme develops as the poem continues. While the tone starts off in a joyous fashion it becomes more and more desperate as the poem goes on and ends with the speaker stating how far she would go to see her husband again. The tone of the other two works is, just like their theme, established from the very beginning. With the singer pleading “Don’t leave me in all this pain” in the very first line of “Unbreak my heart”, the tone is very bleak from the start and stays that way throughout the song. The same goes for Auden’s poem, where the speaker demands total silence so people can mourn over the lost one’s coffin.

The way Pound has set up her poem she communicates her idea of how the absence of a loved one only increases how much they miss each other as it is prolonged. With the poem starting off in a joyous setting, where the speaker is around her future husband all the time and then continues to where the speaker can’t be with her husband at all. The reader understands how the speaker starts to feel lonely and desperate. When the speaker says “The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.” (Pound 470). The noise of the monkeys reflect how the speaker enjoys life less, when her husband is not around and that she interprets this in the world around her. When the speaker then announces “And I will come out to meet you As far as Cho-fu-Sa.” The speaker explains how she would travel a great distance be with him again.

W. H. Auden expresses his idea of how people that have lost someone that they have loved constantly feel sorrow and negativity all around them in his poem “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone.” By creating a grim tone throughout the poem it reflect how the speaker of the poem constantly feels. The speaker explains just how important the deceased person was to him, when he says “He was my North, my South, my East and West.” Auden then communicates his idea of how hopeless a person can become, when they lose someone that important, when the speaker says “For nothing now can ever come to any good.” Because the dead person meant everything to the speaker, nothing can ever feel good to the speaker anymore, because he will always be missing the person who he would want to share it with most.

The song “Unbreak my heart” by Toni Braxton communicates  the idea of how people have to live with pain for a very long time and might not even be able to get rid of it at all, when they lose someone that they truly love. Like in Auden’s poem this song sets a very bleak tone throughout. The fist lines establish how the singer is experiencing great pain because of the lost husband and this continues with almost every line in the song.  With the lines “I can’t forget the day that you left,” (Braxton) “Time is so unkind,” (Braxton) and “I’ve cried so many nights” (Braxton) the singer communicates to the listener that no matter how much time has or will pass, the singer will always remember what happened and will always feel the same pain. The singer also expresses how the only way to get passed the pain would be if the loved one would return, with the lines “Come back and say you love me” (Braxton) and “Without you I just can’t go on,” which is impossible.

Music shares many parallels with poetry in the way it uses literary techniques as well as how it expresses the ideas of the poet or singer to the audience. Although songs use melodies to assist in their message, they need to use the same themes and tones to bring their message across.

Works Cited:

Auden, W.H. Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. 10th. New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. 470. Print.

Braxton, Toni. "Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart Lyrics." metrolyrics.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr 2011. <http://www.metrolyrics.com/unbreak-my-heart-lyrics-toni-braxton.html>.

Pound, Ezra. The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter. 10th. New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. 469. Print.