I have sinned, for I have never read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I am currently working on the repenting process by reading it this week when I get bored of watching TV (since I have no job and my roommates aren't here and I have nothing else to do but watch and read). I'm in the middle of chapter 9 right now, when Jane's friend Helen is dying from consumption. I've seen the Masterpiece Theatre version of the movie, so I already know a lot of what happens, and I already knew anyway that schools like Lowood at this time period were bad situations in many ways. What bothers me isn't the location of the school being a breeding ground for diseases like typhus, but rather the attitude of the owner of Lowood Institution. He talks about instilling in these orphan girls humility by their plain dress and simple food, but "humility" is just a nicer word for poverty in this case. Jane has already been at the school for a month, and readers know that her plain dress is inadequate for January weather, even when she's inside the building; readers know that her food isn't just simple but inedible and malnutritious, both in content and amount. Then in the very next paragraph after he talks about "humility", his wife and daughters come in the room, obviously at the opposite extreme of the spectrum from the orphans. It just makes me sick. I almost cry every time I read a paragraph containing a similar attitude, similar use of acceptable words to cover up an inexcusable crime. This makes me think of the orphanages in China where girls are sent because they are not wanted, and are therefore basically condemned to die (I'm sure this happens in other places too, to both boys and girls; this is just the first example I thought of). This makes me want to donate books to rebuild schools in Uganda (see the posters in the TSC bottom floor), but I don't think I have any books in my apartment that they would appreciate my donating.
Okay I'm done ranting. I feel better now. *sniffle*
On another note, I've been blog-hunting recently and I found one worth mentioning. It's called My Castle in Spain and I love reading it. The writer, Lala Ema, has a calming kind of blog style that almost reminds me of Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes: many of her recent posts talk about rural places and traditions (she also has pictures; I'm still trying to figure out what kind of pictures I can post when all I talk about are books and movies). I'm also amazed at how many languages this woman knows. She's from Provence, France; lives in southern Spain; blogs in English; and just recently blogged about learning German and Latin. Someday maybe that will be me. Anyway, give her a visit. Let me know what you think.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Another list
I like lists. Can you tell? This one is all the movies I got for Christmas!!!! In the past I would have listed books, but I asked for lots of DVDs this year so that's what I got. Although I still got two books: Tales of Beetle the Bard by J.K. Rowling and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (which I am WAY excited to read! Thanks Sarah!)
Anyway, back to movies (in alphabetical order for your convenience):
1. August Rush. Great music, cute story. Heartwarming tear-jerker. A young orphan, played by Freddie Highmore, who hears music in everything, runs away from the orphanage to find his parents, while they search for meaning in their lives. The kind of movie you watch when you're in the mood for a happy ending.
2. Bourne Identity and Supremacy. Great music, great story. Finishes my collection! (last year I got Ultimatum for Christmas) A man who believes his name to be Jason Bourne has almost complete amnesia. While he tries to remember who he was and what he did, his old associates from a covert operation in the CIA are after him. Great action film.
3. A Chorus Line. Haven't watch it yet; my mom thought I'd like it. Something about Broadway productions.
4. Cool Runnings. Family-friendly and cute. Four Jamaicans who tripped out of one of the pre-Olympic foot races make a bobsled team and journey to Canada for the Olympics against all odds. This is a great family night movie, and the Jamaican accents are hilarious.
5. Get Smart. Good music, hilariously funny! Some language and sexual innuendos but definitely worth seeing. Maxwell Smart (played by Steve Carell) is promoted from analyst to field agent when terrorist group KAOS nearly destroys Max's anti-terrorist employer CONTROL. The movie is all about his strange ideas and funny reactions to things as he and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) try to save the world. Also starring Dwayne Johnson.
6. Hotel Rwanda. Most heart-wrenching tear-jerker of them all, but as Joel Siegel said on Good Morning America, this is "the kind of film that can change the world". If you can't handle war or racial conflict, don't watch this movie. Don Cheadle stars as the manager of a five-star hotel in Rwanda in 1994, when a civil war broke out between the race in power and the other race that was being exterminated (I can never tell the difference just by looking at them). All the whites leave and the UN isn't working fast enough to help solve the conflict, so the hotel manager opens the hotel to over 1200 refugees, with only his wits and words to keep the army at bay. Very intense.
7. Indiana Jones boxed set!!! It's the old one though, so it doesn't have Crystal Skull. That's okay; maybe I'll get it next Christmas. :) If you haven't seen Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford), then I'm not going to tell you about it. Go rent them. IJ and the Last Crusade is the best one.
8. Karate Kid. Family-friendly martial arts movie (duh). And those keep getting harder and harder to come by. A teenage kid and his mom move to California from somewhere back east, and he immediately gets picked on by the local bullies. The apartment complex janitor, who happens to come from Okinawa Japan, teaches him karate, the appropriate way to use it, and little bit about growing up. If you liked Ninja Turtles, you'll recognize some things from this movie and probably like it, too.
9. The Mummy. Halloween movie, although it's not necessarily frightening. Just supernatural. Treasure-seekers in Egypt go to the city of the dead and accidentally awaken a cursed mummy, and then must find the Book of Life to kill him.
10. Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest. Also finishes a collection! Here we learn more about the relationship between Jack Sparrow and Davey Jones. Probably my least favorite of the three Pirates movies but worth seeing once to get the story. It just amazes me that Disney made a movie off nothing more than a ride and popular myth.
11. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Another chick flick, but with a good amount of action. Kevin Costner stars as Robin of Locksley, and Morgan Freeman as his Moor friend who follows him home after the Third Crusade to lead a band of outlaws and woodsmen in a revolt against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, played by Alan Rickman. Fabulous acting, great music. One use of the f-word (but still rated PG-13. It was made around the time the ratings changed)
13. Sleeping Beauty!!! I love this movie. Aurora and Belle are my favorite princesses. You have sinned if you have not seen this movie. It's rated G; it has beautiful music; modern villains are based off this movie's villain; it's a classic Disney princess movie. I understand if some people have chosen not to watch PG-13 movies, and that lots of the movies I just listed have that rating. Here that is not the case. You have no excuse not to have seen this movie. Go rent it. Right now. Watch it with girls, especially those younger than 10.
So I am way excited to have expanded my movie collection by so much! And since I'm alone at my apartment right now because I came back early, I'll probably get most of them through my new DVD player on my new 13" old-fashioned TV in my room.
If you have any comments about my list, or you know of some movies you think I should see, please leave a comment below.
Anyway, back to movies (in alphabetical order for your convenience):
1. August Rush. Great music, cute story. Heartwarming tear-jerker. A young orphan, played by Freddie Highmore, who hears music in everything, runs away from the orphanage to find his parents, while they search for meaning in their lives. The kind of movie you watch when you're in the mood for a happy ending.
2. Bourne Identity and Supremacy. Great music, great story. Finishes my collection! (last year I got Ultimatum for Christmas) A man who believes his name to be Jason Bourne has almost complete amnesia. While he tries to remember who he was and what he did, his old associates from a covert operation in the CIA are after him. Great action film.
3. A Chorus Line. Haven't watch it yet; my mom thought I'd like it. Something about Broadway productions.
4. Cool Runnings. Family-friendly and cute. Four Jamaicans who tripped out of one of the pre-Olympic foot races make a bobsled team and journey to Canada for the Olympics against all odds. This is a great family night movie, and the Jamaican accents are hilarious.
5. Get Smart. Good music, hilariously funny! Some language and sexual innuendos but definitely worth seeing. Maxwell Smart (played by Steve Carell) is promoted from analyst to field agent when terrorist group KAOS nearly destroys Max's anti-terrorist employer CONTROL. The movie is all about his strange ideas and funny reactions to things as he and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) try to save the world. Also starring Dwayne Johnson.
6. Hotel Rwanda. Most heart-wrenching tear-jerker of them all, but as Joel Siegel said on Good Morning America, this is "the kind of film that can change the world". If you can't handle war or racial conflict, don't watch this movie. Don Cheadle stars as the manager of a five-star hotel in Rwanda in 1994, when a civil war broke out between the race in power and the other race that was being exterminated (I can never tell the difference just by looking at them). All the whites leave and the UN isn't working fast enough to help solve the conflict, so the hotel manager opens the hotel to over 1200 refugees, with only his wits and words to keep the army at bay. Very intense.
7. Indiana Jones boxed set!!! It's the old one though, so it doesn't have Crystal Skull. That's okay; maybe I'll get it next Christmas. :) If you haven't seen Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford), then I'm not going to tell you about it. Go rent them. IJ and the Last Crusade is the best one.
8. Karate Kid. Family-friendly martial arts movie (duh). And those keep getting harder and harder to come by. A teenage kid and his mom move to California from somewhere back east, and he immediately gets picked on by the local bullies. The apartment complex janitor, who happens to come from Okinawa Japan, teaches him karate, the appropriate way to use it, and little bit about growing up. If you liked Ninja Turtles, you'll recognize some things from this movie and probably like it, too.
9. The Mummy. Halloween movie, although it's not necessarily frightening. Just supernatural. Treasure-seekers in Egypt go to the city of the dead and accidentally awaken a cursed mummy, and then must find the Book of Life to kill him.
10. Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest. Also finishes a collection! Here we learn more about the relationship between Jack Sparrow and Davey Jones. Probably my least favorite of the three Pirates movies but worth seeing once to get the story. It just amazes me that Disney made a movie off nothing more than a ride and popular myth.
11. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Another chick flick, but with a good amount of action. Kevin Costner stars as Robin of Locksley, and Morgan Freeman as his Moor friend who follows him home after the Third Crusade to lead a band of outlaws and woodsmen in a revolt against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, played by Alan Rickman. Fabulous acting, great music. One use of the f-word (but still rated PG-13. It was made around the time the ratings changed)
13. Sleeping Beauty!!! I love this movie. Aurora and Belle are my favorite princesses. You have sinned if you have not seen this movie. It's rated G; it has beautiful music; modern villains are based off this movie's villain; it's a classic Disney princess movie. I understand if some people have chosen not to watch PG-13 movies, and that lots of the movies I just listed have that rating. Here that is not the case. You have no excuse not to have seen this movie. Go rent it. Right now. Watch it with girls, especially those younger than 10.
So I am way excited to have expanded my movie collection by so much! And since I'm alone at my apartment right now because I came back early, I'll probably get most of them through my new DVD player on my new 13" old-fashioned TV in my room.
If you have any comments about my list, or you know of some movies you think I should see, please leave a comment below.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Finals...and lists...
I got all As and A-s!!! *happy dance* I was aiming to make the dean's list again this semester but the letter hasn't come yet so I'll keep you posted (no pun intended).
So I have this rule with myself that I can't put anything on my bookshelf until I talk about it, so I'm going to mention some of my favorites now so that I can list them. Deeper discussion can come later.
1. My favorite series of ALL time: Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, a 7-book fantasy series. Reading this made me want to be a writer and strengthened my desire to be an English major. Highly recommended.
2. Harry Potter rocks my socks!!! These books also inspire me to write, but they bring back good memories too: I read all 7 (several times each) out loud to the fam as we drove to and from Yellowstone National Park every summer for many years.
3. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes always makes me feel warm and content, and helps me appreciate the good things in life. Coupled with HGTV shows like House Hunters and Flip That House, it also makes me want to renovate something. The movie's good too, although a bit different from the book.
4. No list of faves would be complete without Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, including the many movie remakes (most of which are worth seeing). The twisted romances are always good, but I also really enjoyed learning to think about this novel in a totally different way this semester in one of my Brit Lit Hist classes (I won't tell you about that now. It will be part of a future "deeper discussion" so I have something to write about).
More favorites later. That will guarantee that I always have something to write about. At least, it should...
So I have this rule with myself that I can't put anything on my bookshelf until I talk about it, so I'm going to mention some of my favorites now so that I can list them. Deeper discussion can come later.
1. My favorite series of ALL time: Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, a 7-book fantasy series. Reading this made me want to be a writer and strengthened my desire to be an English major. Highly recommended.
2. Harry Potter rocks my socks!!! These books also inspire me to write, but they bring back good memories too: I read all 7 (several times each) out loud to the fam as we drove to and from Yellowstone National Park every summer for many years.
3. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes always makes me feel warm and content, and helps me appreciate the good things in life. Coupled with HGTV shows like House Hunters and Flip That House, it also makes me want to renovate something. The movie's good too, although a bit different from the book.
4. No list of faves would be complete without Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, including the many movie remakes (most of which are worth seeing). The twisted romances are always good, but I also really enjoyed learning to think about this novel in a totally different way this semester in one of my Brit Lit Hist classes (I won't tell you about that now. It will be part of a future "deeper discussion" so I have something to write about).
More favorites later. That will guarantee that I always have something to write about. At least, it should...
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Brit Lit Hist (again)
The update on my papers...
I got my paper back from 2140 part 1 of the survey--the paper that practically wrote itself--and not only did I earn an A for a fabulous paper, but the professor wants me to email her a copy to use as a model. That's almost like being published!!! Actually I got that high of a grade because I met with my professor a couple days before the due date to go over my first draft; she liked all my ideas (it helped that I was the only one writing on Chaucer) but the quality of my presentation and organization doubled with her suggestions. I highly recommend that students, especially those studying English, meet with their professors to talk about their papers. I had never done it before this, but I think I'll do it a lot more in the future.
I don't have my paper back from 2150 part 2 of the survey. I think I did pretty well, but I wish I had met with that professor too.
I got my paper back from 2140 part 1 of the survey--the paper that practically wrote itself--and not only did I earn an A for a fabulous paper, but the professor wants me to email her a copy to use as a model. That's almost like being published!!! Actually I got that high of a grade because I met with my professor a couple days before the due date to go over my first draft; she liked all my ideas (it helped that I was the only one writing on Chaucer) but the quality of my presentation and organization doubled with her suggestions. I highly recommend that students, especially those studying English, meet with their professors to talk about their papers. I had never done it before this, but I think I'll do it a lot more in the future.
I don't have my paper back from 2150 part 2 of the survey. I think I did pretty well, but I wish I had met with that professor too.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Kung Fu Panda
I just saw Kung Fu Panda for the first time today. I can't believe that I haven't seen it until now! It's great and I highly recommend it, especially for families.
Po the (fat) Panda doesn't want to work in his father's noodle shop; instead, he dreams of joining the Furious Five kung fu masters. By a strange and hilariously funny accident, he becomes the Dragon Warrior, the only one who can defeat TaiLung, an evil kung fu master enraged at not becoming the all-powerful Dragon Warrior. Thrown in among all the comedy and a couple thwarted expectations that add to it are some little tidbits of life wisdom. I'm not going to tell you what that wisdom is because I think you should see the movie.
I was a bit nervous with Jack Black being in the movie, but it wasn't crude at all with very little body humor, and Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie also add their vocal talents. The main characters were developed well, and the kung fu was based on actual moves (think Dreamworks animal version of Forbidden Kingdom, which was also good movie). The plot was fairly predictable, but the humor and backstory was worth it. The only thing that could have made this movie better was lots of Orville Redenbacher's butter popcorn and kids.
Po the (fat) Panda doesn't want to work in his father's noodle shop; instead, he dreams of joining the Furious Five kung fu masters. By a strange and hilariously funny accident, he becomes the Dragon Warrior, the only one who can defeat TaiLung, an evil kung fu master enraged at not becoming the all-powerful Dragon Warrior. Thrown in among all the comedy and a couple thwarted expectations that add to it are some little tidbits of life wisdom. I'm not going to tell you what that wisdom is because I think you should see the movie.
I was a bit nervous with Jack Black being in the movie, but it wasn't crude at all with very little body humor, and Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie also add their vocal talents. The main characters were developed well, and the kung fu was based on actual moves (think Dreamworks animal version of Forbidden Kingdom, which was also good movie). The plot was fairly predictable, but the humor and backstory was worth it. The only thing that could have made this movie better was lots of Orville Redenbacher's butter popcorn and kids.
Friday, December 5, 2008
British Literary History
I turned in my two papers today. Whew. Studying for finals will be a lot less stressful than writing those papers.
The problem I had with the 2150 paper--namely not knowing when I was comparing Krapp to a character or a writer--I solved by simply not comparing him to other characters. I think my paper for that class is adequate. I feel pretty good about my grade in that class before studying for the final, so hopefully I'll get an A.
The paper I wrote for 2140 was fantastic, even though I didn't like that class as much. I said I might post it, but I'm a little nervous about doing that with my essay, first because it's six pages long, and second because there are some stupid people out there who think they can coast through life by stealing smarter people's intellectual hard work. I don't want to risk that happening to my paper, and I don't want to bother with copyrighting it, so I'll just give you some of my main arguments.
Basically, the Wife of Bath uses elements of the romance genre to put and keep women in power. The first woman in the tale is the maid whom the knight rapes; while she has no power over him, this relationship with women established by his crime is reversed through the story as he meets and obeys various women of power. The first of woman of power in the tale is the queen, who gains power over the knight due to Arthur's chivalry and with the classic quest. Next is the hag, who gains power over the knight because she's linked to magic, twists the damsel-in-distress element of romance, and uses the spiritual quest element to build herself up as a Christ-figure. It's a sweet paper.
Hopefully in the next two weeks I'll find out how well I did on those papers. I'll let you know.
The problem I had with the 2150 paper--namely not knowing when I was comparing Krapp to a character or a writer--I solved by simply not comparing him to other characters. I think my paper for that class is adequate. I feel pretty good about my grade in that class before studying for the final, so hopefully I'll get an A.
The paper I wrote for 2140 was fantastic, even though I didn't like that class as much. I said I might post it, but I'm a little nervous about doing that with my essay, first because it's six pages long, and second because there are some stupid people out there who think they can coast through life by stealing smarter people's intellectual hard work. I don't want to risk that happening to my paper, and I don't want to bother with copyrighting it, so I'll just give you some of my main arguments.
Basically, the Wife of Bath uses elements of the romance genre to put and keep women in power. The first woman in the tale is the maid whom the knight rapes; while she has no power over him, this relationship with women established by his crime is reversed through the story as he meets and obeys various women of power. The first of woman of power in the tale is the queen, who gains power over the knight due to Arthur's chivalry and with the classic quest. Next is the hag, who gains power over the knight because she's linked to magic, twists the damsel-in-distress element of romance, and uses the spiritual quest element to build herself up as a Christ-figure. It's a sweet paper.
Hopefully in the next two weeks I'll find out how well I did on those papers. I'll let you know.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Writers Unite
Three cheers for my friend Lichelle! She just finished writing her first novel, a fantasy, about 2 weeks ago. She's even got it copyrighted and everything. Being something of a creative writer myself, I know how difficult it is to write something and go through all the revision and look at it one day and say "It's done! (Finally!)". This is I know because I've never actually been able to do it. So hooray and congrats to Lichelle, for finishing writing a 300-ish page novel! Now all she has to do is find a publisher. Won't that be fun.
If you any congrats, comments, or suggestions for my friend Lichelle, let me know in the comments section below.
You can see Lichelle's brand-new blog (inspired by moi) at http://sexyslater.blogspot.com
If you any congrats, comments, or suggestions for my friend Lichelle, let me know in the comments section below.
You can see Lichelle's brand-new blog (inspired by moi) at http://sexyslater.blogspot.com
Monday, December 1, 2008
Finals Are Here!!!
Two of my English classes this semester--2140, British Literary History I, and 2150, British Literary History II--have a final paper (normal, right?). I'm having a hard time brainstorming for 2150 part two of the survey course, which, strangely, is the class I like the most. At the same time, I'm coasting through a paper for the other half of the survey, which I didn't like much at all. How weird is that? Plus they're both due on Friday, so I really need to get myself in gear and get them done (procrastinators unite...tomorrow).
English 2140 covers Anglo-Saxon to Restoration periods, and our example texts were Beowulf (Anglo-Saxon), various tales from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (medieval), Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Elizabethan Age), Milton's Paradise Lost (17th century), and Swift's Gulliver's Travels (18th century), as well as many smaller texts to fill in the gaps. I've decided to write my paper, which is supposed to be 3-5 pages (originally I thought it was 6 pages, so this is one of the few times that I am very much relieved that I was wrong), on the use of elements of the romance genre in the Wife of Bath's Tale from Canterbury Tales. Basically my paper will be about how things like chivalry, the quest, magic, etc put and keep women in power. Looking at my outline/brainstorm I think it will be an awesome paper. Maybe I'll post it.
English 2150 covers Romanticism to the present. We've had more example authors than texts: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Mary Wollstonecraft (her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the few example texts), Jane Austen (!!!), Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Christina Rossetti, Gerard Manley Hopkins, William Butler Yeats, Wilfred Owen, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf. The major text to which we refered is Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape. For the final paper we're supposed to use our first two small drafts about how Krapp (the character) is neither a Romantic nor a Victorian writer and combine it with a discussion of WHY Krapp isn't a Modern writer either. I'm getting confused knowing when I'm comparing Krapp to a character or a writer. Hopefully I get this paper done in the next two days. Wish me luck.
English 2140 covers Anglo-Saxon to Restoration periods, and our example texts were Beowulf (Anglo-Saxon), various tales from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (medieval), Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Elizabethan Age), Milton's Paradise Lost (17th century), and Swift's Gulliver's Travels (18th century), as well as many smaller texts to fill in the gaps. I've decided to write my paper, which is supposed to be 3-5 pages (originally I thought it was 6 pages, so this is one of the few times that I am very much relieved that I was wrong), on the use of elements of the romance genre in the Wife of Bath's Tale from Canterbury Tales. Basically my paper will be about how things like chivalry, the quest, magic, etc put and keep women in power. Looking at my outline/brainstorm I think it will be an awesome paper. Maybe I'll post it.
English 2150 covers Romanticism to the present. We've had more example authors than texts: William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, Mary Wollstonecraft (her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the few example texts), Jane Austen (!!!), Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Christina Rossetti, Gerard Manley Hopkins, William Butler Yeats, Wilfred Owen, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf. The major text to which we refered is Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape. For the final paper we're supposed to use our first two small drafts about how Krapp (the character) is neither a Romantic nor a Victorian writer and combine it with a discussion of WHY Krapp isn't a Modern writer either. I'm getting confused knowing when I'm comparing Krapp to a character or a writer. Hopefully I get this paper done in the next two days. Wish me luck.
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