Express, Don't Repress - Novel Blog 8 (Slaughterhouse-Five)

"The barbershop quartet sang again. Billy was emotionally racked again. The experience was definitely associated with those four men and not what they sang... Billy was pulled apart inside."

~ Slaughterhouse-Five, page 175

So Billy has a major emotional breakdown during this chapter - the singing quartet reminds him of the bombing in Dresden, which is a very traumatic experience for Billy. This scene actually contradicts what I thought had been a theme in the beginning of the book and some theories on which I had speculated. At first, I thought that the book was about veterans being affected by war, but so that they were completely apathetic to death and destruction and depressing matters. Actually, the message is completely the opposite - veterans are the most sensitive to death and violence. They have actually experienced it and it negatively affects their mentalities for the rest of their lives. They know first-hand how much harm the violence causes, and they see the innocent civilians hurt by other people's arguments. The concept isn't apathy, but suppression of emotion or unhealthy methods of coping with negative memories and experiences.

Reflective Essay! Drama Blog

            From age to age, traditions and lifestyles change. Clothes, hairstyles, jobs, technology and social conventions evolve with society; however, one thing that will never change is human emotion and pain that is suffered, sometimes daily. Jealousy is the most universal, recurrent sentiment that every single person on earth experiences. People are wired to compete with others – to push the hardest, gain the most assets, and accomplish the greatest feats. Jealousy is a main theme in Othello, a play written by William Shakespeare in the late 1500’s. While jealousy was important enough to write about back then, it is still considered significant today; its magnitude is reflected in two modern products of media – the song “Jealousy” by Darren Criss and the novel The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.

            “Jealousy” describes raw envy; it portrays the destructive and irrational nature of the emotion, and it can be directly connected to Othello. One of the most relevant lines in the song is “And I don’t know what to do, it’s changing me, it’s killing you.” This connects to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship and its progression throughout the play. Because Iago has convinced himself that Othello slept with his wife Emilia, he persuades Othello that his wife Desdemona has been sleeping with his colleague Cassio (IV.i.104-157). Othello then becomes extremely jealous, and his demeanor oscillates severely because of his envy. Othello was once considered a level-headed and lucid man, even in the midst of war; now, he makes assumptions and lets his emotions violently consume him. The second half of the quote “it’s killing you” relates to Desdemona because Othello kills her out of jealousy(V.ii.83-123). A second relevant quote is “In absolutely no position to be needlessly unkind, when I’m the one writing this fiction, make it real in my mind.” When Othello heightens and imagines the lies Iago planted in his head, he does absurd things like slapping Desdemona. He becomes cruel and he submits to his rampant feelings. However, because Othello creates “this fiction,” he justifies his extreme behavior.

            Not only is jealousy exposed in contemporary songs, but it is also in novels. J.R.R. Tolkien depicts jealousy throughout his fantasy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. One scene in particular mirrors Othello well. Young hobbit Frodo Baggins suddenly acquires an omnipotent, corrupting ring from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. He ventures with a group of warriors from various lands and races of Middle Earth to destroy the ring before it acts as a catalyst to unleash great evil and an age of darkness upon the world. During the journey, Frodo faces the tribulations of transporting the ring to Mont Doom; these trials not only include physical ailments and stress, but they also involve dealing with mental obstacles, such as the jealousy others harbor for him and the power of the ring. In one scene, Boromir physically attacks Frodo in attempts to get the ring; he thinks he could use its power for good and save his kingdom of Gondor. While this does not clearly relate to Othello, there are several key correlations. Both Boromir and Othello are influenced by a separate, evil entity – the ring for Boromir and Iago for Othello. The ring and Iago motivate the conflict in both stories; in the Fellowship, the ring’s power is so great that it annihilates any logic or reason men have – they only desire the ring. Iago similarly does this to Othello by obliterating his rationale with lies that lead to a desire for revenge against Desdemona (V.i.1-22). Jealousy stimulates Boromir and Othello to attack those that they love, and they ultimately destroy their relationships. 

More Jealousy - Drama Blog (Othello)

So the last time we met, I included a video of a song called "Jealousy" by Darren Criss that pretty much described a major theme in Othello. (the theme of jealousy, btw.) Here are the lyrics! I'm going to pick out two specific examples from the song; it's a little creepy how accurate they are.

Othello preparing to kill Desdemona

"Jealousy" has a couple of key phrases that can be related to passages of Othello. One of the most prominent is, "And I don't know what to do, it's changing me, it's killing you." This can really be related back to the former of the two main characters, Othello and Iago, the two people to which the jealousy theme applies. In the beginning of the play, Othello is a level-headed, rational man who can stay calm in any situation; however, when Iago begins to fill his head with ideas of his wife Desdemona cheating, he goes crazy because of his jealousy, and then he strangles Desdemona. ("it's changing [Othello], it's killing [Desdemona]).

Another phrase is "In absolutely no position to be needlessly unkind, when I'm the one writing this fiction, make it real in my mind." This relates to when Othello is getting progressively more angry by imagining and heightening the lies Iago tells him about Desdemona and her assumed lover Cassio. Othello is a big jerk to her for no reason (he even slaps her) when she didn't do anything. But, because it's real to him, he is acting on his "justified" anger.







Well, there you go! (And here is "Jealousy" by Darren Criss)

"It's This Jealousy...." / Themes - Drama Blog 2 (Othello)

"I hate the Moor,/ And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets/ He's done my office. I know not if't be true, / But I for mere suspicion in that kind/ Will do as if for surety."

~ Iago, Othello, I.iii.366-369

The suspicion that started it all....

5. What themes does the play present? To what extent do the thematic materials of the play have an effect on the dramatic experience? Does the power of the ideas increase or decrease the pleasure of the theatrical experience? Does the play seem either too didactic or insufficient in its presentation of important human concerns?

One of the biggest themes in the play is jealousy. It is involved in almost every aspect of conflict - Iago's plotting against Othello, Othello's excessive anger towards Desdemona and Cassio, and Roderigo's love for Desdemona. We see it throughout, but somehow it doesn't overwhelm the play or the experience of the audience. I think that because jealousy is something that people deal with on a daily basis and something that everyone has experienced personally at least once, the large concentration of jealous behavior and theme doesn't seem inundating. It is natural for people to see this. Also, because it is so common in everyday life, it is very relatable - while the audience would like to see everyone be friends and sit in a circle singing Kumbaya, they know that this is realistic, raw, and good - it heightens their theatrical experience. This human concern is addressed well.

And now, a song from the marvelous Darren Criss describing Othello's main theme.

So Long, Farewell, I Bid Thee Adieu! (Chapters 22 and 23/ Pages 256-288)

"The fantasy never got beyond that - I didn't let it - and though the tears rolled down my face, I wasn't sobbing or out of control. I just waited a bit, then turned back to the car, to drive off to wherever it was I was supposed to be."

~ Never Let Me Go, page 288

Well, I am just so sad that these summer reading blogs are over........

Did you like that display of sarcasm? Maybe it could be one of my terms if I missed one.

But anyway, on to the overview of Never Let Me Go:


Overall, I didn't really like the book. It wasn't terrible, and I have definitely read worse (hello, The Pearl), but I thought it was a lot more depressing than it needed to be. I just felt kind of sad throughout the whole thing. There was too much struggle and not enough happiness or inspiration to balance it out - in Part One, it was very angsty, in Part Two, you could just feel the relationships crumbling, and in Part Three, everyone died. However, it was very interesting and I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen.

As for the last two chapters, everything really seemed to fall into place. It all made sense, and there weren't any holes in the plot - that was very satisfying. I didn't like how everyone died unhappy, though; it was as if no personal needs were really complete. Ruth felt awful about how bad of a person she had been, Tommy was no doubt sad about his and Kathy's split, and Kathy had to keep living in the midst of death knowing that that was the only thing waiting for her in the end. I just felt so bad that the clones had no way of having a fulfilling life.

This book seems to be a bit more confusing than Brave New World. I'm not exactly sure what Ishiguro is trying to convey. I guess I would say that I learned to appreciate the friends I have. I learned to not hold anything back, because it may be too late later, even if I get another chance. Even one action could completely alter my future. The last thing I would say I learned is that with progress comes sacrifice. Sometimes, we can't go back once we have learned something new, and there are repercussions of that - both positive and negative. There are instances when we just have to live with the negative effects, because the positives outweigh them. We all have burdens, but we just need to overcome those to make the best possible life for ourselves.

Well, that concludes the summer portion of my AP Lit blogging. I will see you all bright and early on Monday!

Imperfectly Beautiful (Chapter 18/ Pages 241-259)

"Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west; then paused, and, after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east..."

~ Brave New World, page 259

My overall experience with this book was very positive; although it was frustrating at times, the novel was exciting and different. It was really hard to believe that this was written in the 1930's though, because the detail of genetic engineering is so ahead of its time - even if an author were to write it today.

As for the last chapter, I found it kind of heartbreaking. John, who had the right ideas about life, who had so much passion and faith, was only trying to escape the madness. However, the chaos followed him into his solitude and completely wrecked it - and I think for the last days of his life, he was tortured by the people and their lifestyle. But, in the end, he did escape; I just wish it hadn't happened like it did. It was surprising that someone who was so religious would commit suicide. I know he wasn't provided any guidelines that told him it was immoral, but he seemed to be the type of person who did everything the hard way only to strengthen himself. But maybe there was only one way for him in the end.

And now, we come to a close with Brave New World. This book has taught me the dangers of complete stability. It is wrong to live life numbly and safely, because nothing can be experienced or learned or felt. Everything the citizens enjoyed was fake - it was a lie, and the only reason it felt good was because it temporarily put aside their problems. A perfect life, ironically, isn't perfect. It's full of excitement, passion, breakdowns, obstacles, wins, losses, challenges, expression, and joy. The book has once again left me with the same question I had when I started reading - is perfection worth the loss of what makes life truly beautiful?