it's my light . but who really cares?

My light? MY light. Hmmm, I think this is broad. I am feeling like I cannot chose which of the various aspects I want to talk about that makes up my light. When I think of my light I generally think of who I am, my personal opinions and my goals in life. I am usually put in situations that I feel like I have to stand up for who I am and what I believe in and there are so many things I can talk about. But I am going to settle talking about a particular event that happened a few weeks ago.

During my study hall, I usually sit down the hallway near the chemistry room. I do this so I more of a “controlled” area and so I can concentrate easier on my work. However, just a few weeks ago, I decided to sit in the unmonitored study hall area near the chairs and tables. I sat on the floor just because it felt comfortable, allowing me to not here conversations that well since I was lower than the people sitting at a nearby table. I found it very odd that the day I chose to sit where all the other students sit, I actually did overhear some negative rather heart breaking comments from a student at our school. The student said that he/she was in this play called Rent because it was about blacks and gays. This hyped up my interest of the play because it was supporting blacks and gays. But in contrast of what I was thinking, the student went on and said that he/she was only in the play because he/she wanted to piss of his/her parents (since the parents do not like blacks or gays, according to the student). He/she added, “Well, neither do I”.

I sat there, a part of me was just trying to stay to myself and tell myself that I was just being nosy. But a part another part of me wanted to jump all over this kid, smack him/her in the face, and give them a little wake up call. Coincidentally while I sat pondering, one of the students at the table IMed me and reassured me that what I really thought I heard was actually said. I could tell that this student was bothered by it as well but did not know how to handle it. I conversed a little bit with my friend Brittney and she was offended just like I was. I chose to go say something to this kid. I let him/her know the reality of life. I told him/her that I was just going to have a few words for him/her, but at some other school or in another environment, he/she would catch a reaction that was physical (basically getting his/her ass beat). My first question was “Why don’t you like blacks or gays?” and the student paused. He/She then expressed himself/herself with sincere apology and said it was a joke. I said more words, expressing my own personal hurt, while the student kept touching his/her heart and apologizing.

I feel like I shared my light. I let this kid know the reality of things and stood up for myself as well as for people I know. But what follows me is was this student really sorry or just saying that as a cover-up? I will probably never know, but I am proud for standing up for who I am and sharing my light.

chopin`s " the story of an hour " .

Kate Chopin is one of those authors who keeps the same ideas and themes throughout more than one of her stories. Chopin's stories, "The Story Of An Hour" and "The Awakening" both contain female protagonist who are questioning their independence, as well as their bit of hatred and love for the ones who they are married to.

In “The Awakening”, Edna Pontellier is the protagonist. Edna did not care about her family as a whole. She cared about herself and making herself happy. Mrs. Pontellier was not happy with the one she married and she did not love him. She thought that she would become happy by not feeling like she is counting on her husband and getting her own house called the Pigeon House, but her large amount of selfishness leads her to complete unhappiness and she dies of suicide.

The protagonist in “The Story Of An Hour” is Mrs. Mallard, who did not see whole reality of things, “her awakening”, until her husband died. Her selfishness included feeling of happiness when he died and feeling like she was set free. In the midst of all this, she could not figure out if she really loved him or not. She thought that his death was the beginning of a happy life for her, but she eventually found out that he was not truly dead. Because her thoughts of happiness were destroyed, Mrs. Mallard died.

the lady or the tigerrrr ?

At the end of this reading, the question that we, as readers, are posed with is; "Did the tiger come out the door, or did the lady?". I think that no matter what comes out the door, the princess will still lead the suitor to unhappiness. The princess will either pick the door with the tiger (which means he will be killed instantly) or the door with the lady (which means that he will be forced to be in love with another woman). This lady is who the princess really hates and who she thinks the suitor has flirted with before anyway.

I think the main of this story is that there are chances you take to try to get happiness. Either he will be eaten or he will be suffering hardcore or fall in love happily. There is really no way to say which one will happen because of the way the story ended, but life is full of choices. For example, you can either pick a tiger, be eaten and not have to worry about going through any more obstacles in life, or you can pick a door with a lady that you do not know much about and you may fall in love with someone for the wrong reasons.

I am not a big fan of this story. I think it was somewhat interesting, while it was too long just to leave us with basically a “cliffhanger” ending and leaving readers to make our on choice on the ending.

act III; #2 - gloucester && graphic violence .

The purpose of this particular incident is so that Gloucester can “see” the truth. The truth is that it is his son Edmund that was really betraying him from the beginning. He called out for Edmund, thinking that it is he that truly loves him. However, Edgar is the one who really loves him. Edmund is actually the son that is the illegitimate one who is on Goneril and Regan’s side and wants to take his father’s power and title of earl. I would definitely call this gratuitous violence because it seems like everyone is only fighting and torturing in this scene because they are being selfish and only thinking about themselves. The servant was only trying to protect Gloucester and stop the torment, but in the end the servant was killed by Regan. We are starting to see more in this particular part of the book how selfish humans can be and how they can let their inner selves extremely take over to the point that they are willing to do whatever, like plucking someone eyes out. I do, however, think that this type of graphic violence would necessary for a slasher film because graphic violence are what makes up slasher films. These films are horrific and often gory, but it is not sudden like in King Lear’s play. The violence in slasher films often occurs throughout the whole movie from beginning to end and not suddenly in the middle. I am not that familiar with Grand Theft Auto but I do know that it is rated for the mature because of its violence. Therefore, I think since the game is known as being violent, this type of graphic violence would be necessary and not uncalled for because it follows the whole scheme of the game. HOWEVER, there should never be an excuse for any time of violence whether graphic or not. In my opinion, no one should ever declare when it a time or a place for graphic violence, there should not be any.

Act II; #4 - Cordelia

I have chosen the alternative choice of writing a letter from Cordelia to her father, King Lear.

Dear Father,

I am aware of the happenings in your kingdom and what frustrations you must be going through during this time. I wanted you to know that I am merely concerned of what your mental stance is while you are handling this whole ordeal. It is not a part of my inner being to recall my words and warnings of my two sisters’ flattery, however, what is occurring is not far from what I suspected. As a part of my obedience, I will remain in France and live with my beloved Duke of France. I will not intervene with your orders nor will I become a part of what you do not want me to. I am hoping Goneril and Regan do not continue to be the monstrous characters they are and make changes in their future plans to disobey your kingdom even more. Nonetheless, it will not be of my surprising to witness what other negative and selfish roles they have in store. My love for you remains the same as it did before and every now and then I recall my honesty in describing my love for you and how you basically did not label me as a trustworthy and loving daughter. I am not writing this letter to banish your past choices in regards to me, your daughter, or to say, “I told you so, I told you so”. My point of this writing is to inform you of my sympathy for you as you are learning what type of people your two oldest daughters are. You do not have to reply or make any effort to contact me after reading this letter. I will leave that choice up to you, but hopefully you take the time to let me know if there is anything that I could do for you, my dear father.

I hope all gets better.

Love,

Cordelia

Act II; #3 - Edgar

Thanks to the helpful notes in the King Lear Folger edition, I have gotten a better understanding of what exactly Edgar is planning to do as far as disguising himself as Tom O'Bedlam. The description for Tom O'Bedlam is "a beggar who has escaped or been discharged from Bedlam (London's Bethelehen Hospital for the insane) or who pretends to be so in order to make people give him money" (38). Page 94 says "Edgar disguised himself as a madman-beggar to escape his death sentence". He decides to have the nickname "Poor Tom", which is "the name by which the kinds of beggars whom Edgar is imitating called themselves" (96).

Edgar has planned to disguise himself as Tom O’Bedlam, the beggar. He smears dirt on his face and body, ties his hair in knots, and covers himself with a blanket to make his physical appearance ideal to that of a typical beggar. His choice of this particular disguise goes right along with what has driven him to the idea of simply disguising himself. I believe Edmund has chosen this particular disguise to ease himself more into the company of his father, Gloucester, brother, Edgar, and the other characters in this play. This means that the characters will be more welcoming of his presence being that they may feel sorry for him, being that he is a beggar, and allow him to become protected by them or do work for them. I feel that Edgar’s main state of mind is that is it easy to become a beggar than it is to become any other person under disguise. It is easier to put first on your face and body and make your hair look like that of a typical beggar and do other things to set up a “beggar like” than it is to try to go out and look for a totally different outfit (when you can just use a blanket) and set up your hair in a neat looking way to present yourself as another character that belongs to the kingdom. What is mainly driving Edgar to do is his intentions to remain connected with his father, his brother, the King, and others. He wants to still be able to be around these people because these are basically the only people he knows. His great amount of fear has lead him to want to become a totally different type of person because he fears the danger that his brother, Edmund, has presented to him even though it is based off of lies and false accusations (because of his brother’s made up stories).

Act 1 #2: Goneril and Regan

From the inside, most people do things because they think they are doing what is right. They are driven because they believe what they are doing is the best thing for them especially if what they are they are planning on doing is for the benefiting them whether it is mentally or physically. These are known as monstrous individuals. Goneril and Regan are both monstrous characters who are willing to do whatever they can in order to get what they want. In Act 1, these characters have relied on flattery to persuade their fathers that they love him so much that words cannot express their love in order to get the land from King Lear, their father. They are willing to lie and go behind their father’s back because they are so greedy. The image of the world in their heads is that everyone else in the world should be doing what they are doing because it is the right thing to do. They often look at others as fools because they are able to trick them into what they want. Often times when monstrous individuals like Goneril and Regan have a plan, it is not a positive one. In relation to the world today, I would consider the two sisters to be bullies. Bullies do what they want to other people no matter what the other person may feel like emotionally or physically as a result. Their purpose is to make themselves feel good about themselves by putting others down and harming them in any way. Bullies usually do this because they have low self-esteem, however, I do not believe that Goneril and Regan have low self-esteem nor insecure of themselves. These characters are simply greedy and want their father’s land and all that he has so they are going to do whatever they feel is right in order to trick their father. I honestly cannot relate to neither one of these sisters.