1. Do you feel sorry for Lady Macbeth? Why or why not?
I do feel sorry; I feel pity for Lady Macbeth because she is as human as I am. Are we to be hypocrites and blame her for her lust for power? I truly don’t believe so because if we were to set ourselves in her shoes, I really think that we would’ve all been tempted. Although, I’m not so sure that we all would’ve been tempted to go as far as murdering King Duncan and like four other deaths after that. I feel that Lady Macbeth is more or less a sinner than everyone else is in this secular world. Hence, from a religious perspective, this is where our own identities come into play. For me, I feel sorry for Lady Macbeth because she had been tempted and had fallen into this lust, this sour temptation that led to her own fall. Therefore, hamartia is greatly portrayed through the characterization of Lady Macbeth as much as it was through Macbeth himself. This tragedy themed play focuses on this aspect of these two characters and guides the reader through a journey from creation to fall, and no redemption.
Although, I did have seconds thoughts about Lady Macbeth and whether or not there was redemption for her. For instance, when she goes mad and paranoid, sleepwalking and sleep talking, she constantly washes her hands. She says, “Out, damned spot, I say! One. Two. Why then, ‘tis time to do ‘t” (Act 5. Sc. 1, 163). This constant revealing of washing her hands (even in mid air) shows us that she is washing with water. Water is a universal symbol for baptism and this could mean that Lady Macbeth is trying to wash her ‘sins’ away and become new again. Yet, further into her panic mode of sleep talking, she says, “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O” (Act 5. Sc. 1, 163). This shows that she was simply washing the blood off just for the act of washing it off. She was paranoid, yes, but paranoid that this evidence of blood on her hands would lead to revealing what she and Macbeth had truly done in murdering King Duncan. Later, she reassures herself by saying, “Banquo's buried; he cannot come out on 's grave.” (Act 5. Sc. 1, 165). This further supports why Lady Macbeth was not washing her hands off in order to wash away her guilt and regret because the death of Banquo was making her fearful as much as it was for Macbeth earlier in the play. Ultimately, there is no redemption for Lady Macbeth because she commits suicide. Again, through a religious perspective, there is no redemption for those who commit suicide in the eyes of God because committing suicide means shunning God and leaving the world knowing that he/she do not want any sort of redemption whatsoever; it is the act of not letting God reveal who they are, who they should be.
2. What do you think about the character of Macbeth? Was he a good guy before he met the witches, or do his actions imply that he was always capable of dark deeds? Is he to blame for his actions, or are the witches really to blame?
Initially, I thought that the witches were to truly blame because I thought they were the ones to instill the lust for power in Macbeth. After all, this is in a way how Shakespeare presents the witches to us anyway. From research, I learned that William Shakespeare had written Macbeth for two purposes: for entertainment (of the public) and for King James I, who had written a book on witches and how to detect them. Therefore, during this period of writing tragedies, such as Macbeth and King Lear, Shakespeare wanted to make sure that his audience was going to get a sensational outlook on the witches themselves. It is obvious that he would want to do so because witches were a very crucial topic of the Elizabethan era. Therefore, it would be easiest to believe that the witches are really to blame for Macbeth’s actions.
However, I’d like to think the opposite. Going back to my pity for Lady Macbeth, I believe that it is also through human nature that he was always capable of dark deeds; in fact, we all are. Although he may have been portrayed to be such a good person in the beginning, his small rise to power in becoming Thane of Glamis had already uprooted his position and hence, the want for becoming more than oneself. On the other hand, Macbeth, again, was only human, and I pity him for falling into this temptation along with Lady Macbeth who had further pushed him into this crisis of murder, chaos, and tragedy. It’s like Adam and Eve. Eve pulled Adam into eating the forbidden fruit, and both were supposed to be dead, but, the gracious God that He is, He only sent them into exile of the Garden, and eternally punished them; that man would forever work with sweat on his brow and women would bear children with pain, which are both true to this day. Yet, God had made man in order that there would be companionship between God and man. We were made to have choices, and thus we are not robots. If we were simply robots, there would be no reason for God to make humankind because then we’d all be perfect, and well, life would be boring. No, God made man so that we would live a life of testimony for others who have the spirit of God inside each and every one of them, but is just not yet revealed. This revealing, however, is necessary and possible for everyone because although we were born sinners, the blood of Christ and thus, the tearing of the cloth when Jesus died on the cross, was evidence that the vale covering our eyes from God can be taken off with just a matter of faith.
Therefore, I believe that Macbeth is not to really blame for his action. He is a sinner. I am a sinner. Lady Macbeth is a sinner and you are a sinner. We all are, but God, who of course, is not present in the story of Macbeth, are redeemed through the blood of Jesus. And that’s why I think Macbeth should not be blamed for his actions.
3. Is there a personal incident in your life you wish you could erase? Envision Lady Macbeth wringing her hands, unable to get the imaginary blood off of them. She is haunted by her participation in the grisly deed. Do you think her response is plausible? Do you think you would be consumed with guilt yourself if you found yourself wrapped up in such a heinous crime?
I can relate to Lady Macbeth perfectly. I can relate to her and her being haunted by her participation in the grisly deed because I went through a time in my life when I had hidden myself from the world and from God due to my sinful nature that I knew I had to let go of, but was having such a difficult time doing so. This period of time, however, is very personal and I do not exactly wish to explain it. Although, I do find that experiences like mine make me who I am now; a person much stronger than I ever was, depending on the God that I believed in and still do today.
Nevertheless, her response is wholly plausible. Her response is plausible because yet again, she is human. I can’t stop stressing enough that what she had done and what she did after was natural. Even if I were to make a simple lie, I would suffer from my guilt and regret. Therefore, I find that I would be consumed with guilt myself if I found myself wrapped up in such a heinous crime.
4. Have you ever experienced a predicted dream? Has anyone ever suggested something about your future that has actually come true? Did their comments influence your actions and the results that followed?
Truly, I don’t think that I’ve ever experienced a predicted dream; ever. And, even still, there hasn’t been any moments in my life when someone suggested something about my future that actually came true. When I think about someone predicting my future or something, I always end up thinking about psychics and tarot card reading people and whatnot; which are things that I don’t believe in. Nevertheless, I think that if someone were to suggest something about my future and then let alone, it comes true, I think that when the person tells me something, I would simply disregard what they had said and move on with life; not being skeptical about my actions or anything. Then, when it actually happens, I’d be surprised; I mean, who wouldn’t be? I think that I would respond by simply thinking that it was coincidental. Another side of me would ask myself to reflect upon the situation and circumstance; who it was that told me this suggestion, and whether or not it relates to me through my faith or not.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Lady Macbeth Now & Then
D. "My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white." (2.2.82-83)
In context, Macbeth had already "done the deed", which was killing Duncan with daggers. Later, he begins to tell her how he was hearing a voice saying, "Sleep no more!...Macbeth shall sleep no more." However, she sees that he had brought the bloody daggers along with him when he returns to Lady Macbeth and she freaks out explaining to him that he'd needed to leave them there so that it would be left as pure evidence. Hence, after calling him a coward and taking the daggers from Macbeth, she says that she'll return them to the house and reaffirm the plan to make paint blood on the servant's faces. Then, Macbeth starts to hear knocking noises and is starting to feel panic as well as fear. This is where Lady Macbeth enters and says, “"My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white."
Seeing how Macbeth is reacting to this murder act, Lady Macbeth reassures him that he cannot start to become feeble about what he’s done. He’s reminded to be manly about this situation and to "watch this filthy witness from your hand" as if doing so would truly wash the 'filthiness' from his hands. It is evident that her bold characterization stands out in her lines when she says, “but I shame To wear a heart so white”. The color of Macbeth’s hands that she’s referring to is red because of the blood and so is hers. Yet, she ridicules what seems like Macbeth’s sudden paranoia of everything around him, starting with some simple knocking at the door. She feels that she needs to be so powerful and in control of everything because if can’t, then someone needs to be. She wants Macbeth to want the throne as much as she wants it, and she truly wants it. However, she, as well as Macbeth certainly do not want to leave any white spots that’ll prove them guilty, hence she needs to be extra careful and be very competent of doing things in the correct way without mistakes
"The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?" (5.1.44-45) A gentlewoman and doctor curiously watch and note Lady Macbeth’s actions as she sleepwalks and sleep talks. Lady Macbeth repeatedly washes her hands. This is the action of when she was washing her hands after her and Macbeth had “done the deed”. Later, the doctor concludes, “she needs spiritual aid rather than a physician.”
Lady Macbeth is feeling very frantic. She seems to be as paranoid as Macbeth was after he’d killed Duncan and loathed what he’d done. She’s obviously gone mad as this is evident when the gentlewoman and doctor see her constantly washing her hands in thin air and speaking to herself what she would never tell them in person. She says, “The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?” She is referring to all of their evil deeds and because the security that she needs to feel is so great, her feelings of fear had transcended all her confidence. There is contrast in her characterization as she used to be the one to push Macbeth into this situation (Adam & Eve?). In conclusion, I feel that this idea of how sometimes our fears get the best of us comes into play with this sharp contrast in Lady Macbeth’s characterization from confident to fearful.
In context, Macbeth had already "done the deed", which was killing Duncan with daggers. Later, he begins to tell her how he was hearing a voice saying, "Sleep no more!...Macbeth shall sleep no more." However, she sees that he had brought the bloody daggers along with him when he returns to Lady Macbeth and she freaks out explaining to him that he'd needed to leave them there so that it would be left as pure evidence. Hence, after calling him a coward and taking the daggers from Macbeth, she says that she'll return them to the house and reaffirm the plan to make paint blood on the servant's faces. Then, Macbeth starts to hear knocking noises and is starting to feel panic as well as fear. This is where Lady Macbeth enters and says, “"My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white."
Seeing how Macbeth is reacting to this murder act, Lady Macbeth reassures him that he cannot start to become feeble about what he’s done. He’s reminded to be manly about this situation and to "watch this filthy witness from your hand" as if doing so would truly wash the 'filthiness' from his hands. It is evident that her bold characterization stands out in her lines when she says, “but I shame To wear a heart so white”. The color of Macbeth’s hands that she’s referring to is red because of the blood and so is hers. Yet, she ridicules what seems like Macbeth’s sudden paranoia of everything around him, starting with some simple knocking at the door. She feels that she needs to be so powerful and in control of everything because if can’t, then someone needs to be. She wants Macbeth to want the throne as much as she wants it, and she truly wants it. However, she, as well as Macbeth certainly do not want to leave any white spots that’ll prove them guilty, hence she needs to be extra careful and be very competent of doing things in the correct way without mistakes
"The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?" (5.1.44-45) A gentlewoman and doctor curiously watch and note Lady Macbeth’s actions as she sleepwalks and sleep talks. Lady Macbeth repeatedly washes her hands. This is the action of when she was washing her hands after her and Macbeth had “done the deed”. Later, the doctor concludes, “she needs spiritual aid rather than a physician.”
Lady Macbeth is feeling very frantic. She seems to be as paranoid as Macbeth was after he’d killed Duncan and loathed what he’d done. She’s obviously gone mad as this is evident when the gentlewoman and doctor see her constantly washing her hands in thin air and speaking to herself what she would never tell them in person. She says, “The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?” She is referring to all of their evil deeds and because the security that she needs to feel is so great, her feelings of fear had transcended all her confidence. There is contrast in her characterization as she used to be the one to push Macbeth into this situation (Adam & Eve?). In conclusion, I feel that this idea of how sometimes our fears get the best of us comes into play with this sharp contrast in Lady Macbeth’s characterization from confident to fearful.
Monday, November 3, 2008
#3
3. Think about hamartia: find one poem that displays a tragic flaw in human nature (either human nature in general or in one human, as expressed in the poem). Write about whether or not the poem’s message is enhanced for you, as a reader, as you contemplate hamartia as it relates to the text.
The poem In the Secular Night shows hamartia through "you". This character that is portrayed throughout the story as one who is alone and this lonliness is what creates this sense of 'fall'. The author alludes to this lonliness as something that creates a separate outlet for the speaker, and people in general, to release that loneliness. The fact that she says, "…the sensed absence of God and the sensed presence amount to much the same thing…” brings up her point that this “…silence between the words” has become too much that she doesn’t feel the need to even believe anyone or any one ‘being’ is there for her. Then, the greatest portrayal of ‘fall’ is the last part of the third stanza when it reads, “Someone’s been run over”. This part could stand as a metaphor in saying that perhaps ‘all is over now’ or ‘nothing matters’ and that perhaps death is the only portal that will cease this loss in emptiness. The reader may approach the last line “The century grinds on” as a new journey into the future that proposes an opportunity for ‘redemption’ but to me, this only says that whether she expels this feeling of anxiety or not, it won’t matter, the world will continue to spin with or without her permission.
For me, this poem's message is enhanced for me as i contemplate hamartia in this text because I too have moments when I just need this lonliness. However, this doesn't mean that I have a craving to be recognized as the speaker in the poem is. I find that although being alone and having 'alone time' is healthy, sometimes being too alone and not being able to open up is unhealthy and unfruitful for any cause. For this reason, all may end in chaos like the last stanza portrays.
The poem In the Secular Night shows hamartia through "you". This character that is portrayed throughout the story as one who is alone and this lonliness is what creates this sense of 'fall'. The author alludes to this lonliness as something that creates a separate outlet for the speaker, and people in general, to release that loneliness. The fact that she says, "…the sensed absence of God and the sensed presence amount to much the same thing…” brings up her point that this “…silence between the words” has become too much that she doesn’t feel the need to even believe anyone or any one ‘being’ is there for her. Then, the greatest portrayal of ‘fall’ is the last part of the third stanza when it reads, “Someone’s been run over”. This part could stand as a metaphor in saying that perhaps ‘all is over now’ or ‘nothing matters’ and that perhaps death is the only portal that will cease this loss in emptiness. The reader may approach the last line “The century grinds on” as a new journey into the future that proposes an opportunity for ‘redemption’ but to me, this only says that whether she expels this feeling of anxiety or not, it won’t matter, the world will continue to spin with or without her permission.
For me, this poem's message is enhanced for me as i contemplate hamartia in this text because I too have moments when I just need this lonliness. However, this doesn't mean that I have a craving to be recognized as the speaker in the poem is. I find that although being alone and having 'alone time' is healthy, sometimes being too alone and not being able to open up is unhealthy and unfruitful for any cause. For this reason, all may end in chaos like the last stanza portrays.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
#2
2. TPCASTT one poem and discover what it really says to you. Write about the poem and its theme, especially about how the poem’s message sheds light on the universal human condition/experience.
The one poem that I did a TPCASTT and found ME in was the "I meant to have but modest needs" poem. This poem heavily describes the search for satisfaction through prayer, problems with misunderstanding the nature and power of God, and ultimately, how our response to God in the circumstances of life affect our path. The reverent, calm and quiet mood made whatever voice that was prevalent in this poem so passive and enduring. The sibilance and alliteration coupled together tied the mood together to shed light on a greater understanding of human nature. I found that the rhythmic "Iambic"? meter helped the poem flow as well. However, something to note is the fact that this poem does not portray any reverent message at all. Instead, it reads in the fourth stanza, where there is the great general shift, "I left the place with all my might, - My prayer away I threw;..." This tells the reader that there is something wrong, that something is left out. Judging the last stanza, "But I, grown shrewder; scan the skies...", this also shows that there is shift in mood as well from reverent to defnesive and insecure. Overall, this poem shows how to humans, we're always wanting so much; from each other, ourselves, society, and God. This poem sheds light on the universal human condition that we are so fickle. What's more is that we live in such a massive world, yet God is even greater and still, we do not find happiness in God or the world. We often times do not find satisfcation in neither God nor the world, which is problematic. Our human desires will never cease. But I hope to turn that around, starting with myself.
The one poem that I did a TPCASTT and found ME in was the "I meant to have but modest needs" poem. This poem heavily describes the search for satisfaction through prayer, problems with misunderstanding the nature and power of God, and ultimately, how our response to God in the circumstances of life affect our path. The reverent, calm and quiet mood made whatever voice that was prevalent in this poem so passive and enduring. The sibilance and alliteration coupled together tied the mood together to shed light on a greater understanding of human nature. I found that the rhythmic "Iambic"? meter helped the poem flow as well. However, something to note is the fact that this poem does not portray any reverent message at all. Instead, it reads in the fourth stanza, where there is the great general shift, "I left the place with all my might, - My prayer away I threw;..." This tells the reader that there is something wrong, that something is left out. Judging the last stanza, "But I, grown shrewder; scan the skies...", this also shows that there is shift in mood as well from reverent to defnesive and insecure. Overall, this poem shows how to humans, we're always wanting so much; from each other, ourselves, society, and God. This poem sheds light on the universal human condition that we are so fickle. What's more is that we live in such a massive world, yet God is even greater and still, we do not find happiness in God or the world. We often times do not find satisfcation in neither God nor the world, which is problematic. Our human desires will never cease. But I hope to turn that around, starting with myself.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
#1
The poet that I thought I'd least be like was Margaret Atwood. Of course, that was before I researched about Silvia Plath and her dark and sorrowful years of life which led to a horrible suicide in her oven (that freaked me out a bit!). The reason why I thought I'd least be like Atwood was because my first impressions of Atwood was seeing a very powerful woman who knew what she believed in and was going to fight for everything she saw wrong in her eyes and the rest of the female population. Then again, of course she would do these things, she was a feminist and activist! Initially, I didn't see myself like her, strong and lively with words. However, that's where I got stuck in between Emily Dickinson and Atwood. Like Emily Dickinson, I am the shy, not so much the out-going type of person. Yet, I'm also like Atwood in which I can be very open and straight up real with what I want to personalize and express in terms of my thoughts and convictions. It's one thing to be a hermit, but it's another to lose the shell.
Atwood writes her work with strong individual protagonists who are able to admit their wrongs and work towards their rights. The characters in her stories and poems add to the unlimited stories that all tell different narratives but tie into one main idea. And I think that's fascinating. I think it's fascinating how feminism can be expressed; how much it can exceed our thoughts about contemporary issues. In the same way, as much as I admire her open-ended mind and love for defiance, there are times when I too have strong feelings about something and I just need to get them out of me. Often times, instead of screaming into a pillow or rampaging through my door, I'm the type of person to take all my anger out on paper. There, I would write (or even type most of the time) frantically trying to get every little and last detail formulating in my tiny cranium from whatever situation that had occurred. It's actually quite sad sometimes, having to share my anger and thoughts with myself. Then again, there's God and then this seg-ways to a faith-based issue, but that's for later days.
Atwood is a powerful writer who writes profound works. Although there are some things that I disagree with all of this feminism and whatnot, I believe that Atwood's sense of overpowering what is wrong and speaking up about what she believes in is just one single aspect of me in which we have similarities.
Atwood writes her work with strong individual protagonists who are able to admit their wrongs and work towards their rights. The characters in her stories and poems add to the unlimited stories that all tell different narratives but tie into one main idea. And I think that's fascinating. I think it's fascinating how feminism can be expressed; how much it can exceed our thoughts about contemporary issues. In the same way, as much as I admire her open-ended mind and love for defiance, there are times when I too have strong feelings about something and I just need to get them out of me. Often times, instead of screaming into a pillow or rampaging through my door, I'm the type of person to take all my anger out on paper. There, I would write (or even type most of the time) frantically trying to get every little and last detail formulating in my tiny cranium from whatever situation that had occurred. It's actually quite sad sometimes, having to share my anger and thoughts with myself. Then again, there's God and then this seg-ways to a faith-based issue, but that's for later days.
Atwood is a powerful writer who writes profound works. Although there are some things that I disagree with all of this feminism and whatnot, I believe that Atwood's sense of overpowering what is wrong and speaking up about what she believes in is just one single aspect of me in which we have similarities.
Friday, August 29, 2008
the beginning, the end, and the new
Creation, Fall, Redemption
Something that I didn't think about as I read this novel was the idea of creation, fall, and redemption. It's amazing and very interesting to see how authors weave these three key points. Not only do these three points create dramatic scenes and plots, they create ways of revealing characterization and identity. Hence, Ondaatje uses specific scenes in the book to invite the reader to be in awe of the use of creation, fall, and redemption through his characters.
Creation, is the beginning and in the beginning Patrick's search for identity is created. Through learning and following the ways of his father, the reader make sense of Patrick blowing up the waterworks. Specifically, by him and his father saving the cow, the reader is able to realize that perhaps the act of saving the cow was a foreshadow of Patrick saving himself from true loss of identity? The 'creation' in this book revolves around the different encounters Patrick faces: searching for Ambrose, meeting Clara, losing Clara, meeting Alice, losing Alice, etc. Of coures, among these encounters the reader is able to find the concept of 'fall' and 'redemption'. However, it is through the creation of Patrick and these encounters that he faces, that allow fall and redemption to occur.
Fall, is the end. However, fall is also what creates redemption. Ondaatje has a way of creating 'creation, fall and redemption' to all be able to weave through the other. Hence, as aforementioned, the creation of the encounters that Patrick faces lead to specific scenes of him falling into disaster. Finding the need to search for Ambrose leads him to find Clara who he becomes so attached to that when she leaves him he finds it indispicable. He "cleans his room on Queen Street obsessively ... then he sits in the only dry corner where he has previously placed cigarettes and smokes..." (82). It's obvious that this is a scene that is created to identify the 'fall' in Patrick. Then, later when he loses Alice, another one of his lovers and sources of finding identity, he blows up the waterworks. Perhaps he feels the guilt and blame for her death. Moreover, the relationship between Alice and Patrick, to me, had much more meaning than the relationship between him and Clara. The reason for this was becaue Patrick was so into Alice and finding more about her and her mysterious 'two-sided' character. She was a very independent girl who fought for the "plight of the immigrant workers" and it was like a duty for Patrick to find out "how she leaps from her true self to her other true self" (153). Hence, after her death, it was like the end of the world and end of finding his identity which led to anger and resentment.
Redemption, is the new. Redemption is when the theme of the story places itself into the midst of all the creation and the fall. It is when Patrick is able to look beyond the tragedies that led to his fall. Redemption was when he met Alice after Clara left him. Redemption was also when Patrick saved the cow because as I said before (in creation) it was the image of him saving the cow that foreshadowed him saving himself from the loss of identity. Also, although the scene of blowing up the waterworks may be seen as a source of 'fall' it can also be seen as redemption because with anger came the mind to blow it up, but the act of blowing it up can be seen as a way to relieve the anxiety and guilt/grief. After all, Harris had only let him go after blowing it up.
However, apart from Patrick, another important scene of redemption is the scene of Clara and Alice. Them meeting the rain with their naked bodies creates a profound beginning forthe two women. Their need to lose and forget their past as well as their weakness had made this scene powerful. Nevertheless, it was also the fact that Clara and Alice had their own power in this scene apart from any presence of a man. The relationship Patrick has with Clara and Alice are crucial when he is finding his identity; it's like he tries to find it in them. That is why the redemption for Clara and Alice is so important. In my opinion, if their redemption had not occurred, Patrick's search for identity would not have been very meaningful.
Something that I didn't think about as I read this novel was the idea of creation, fall, and redemption. It's amazing and very interesting to see how authors weave these three key points. Not only do these three points create dramatic scenes and plots, they create ways of revealing characterization and identity. Hence, Ondaatje uses specific scenes in the book to invite the reader to be in awe of the use of creation, fall, and redemption through his characters.
Creation, is the beginning and in the beginning Patrick's search for identity is created. Through learning and following the ways of his father, the reader make sense of Patrick blowing up the waterworks. Specifically, by him and his father saving the cow, the reader is able to realize that perhaps the act of saving the cow was a foreshadow of Patrick saving himself from true loss of identity? The 'creation' in this book revolves around the different encounters Patrick faces: searching for Ambrose, meeting Clara, losing Clara, meeting Alice, losing Alice, etc. Of coures, among these encounters the reader is able to find the concept of 'fall' and 'redemption'. However, it is through the creation of Patrick and these encounters that he faces, that allow fall and redemption to occur.
Fall, is the end. However, fall is also what creates redemption. Ondaatje has a way of creating 'creation, fall and redemption' to all be able to weave through the other. Hence, as aforementioned, the creation of the encounters that Patrick faces lead to specific scenes of him falling into disaster. Finding the need to search for Ambrose leads him to find Clara who he becomes so attached to that when she leaves him he finds it indispicable. He "cleans his room on Queen Street obsessively ... then he sits in the only dry corner where he has previously placed cigarettes and smokes..." (82). It's obvious that this is a scene that is created to identify the 'fall' in Patrick. Then, later when he loses Alice, another one of his lovers and sources of finding identity, he blows up the waterworks. Perhaps he feels the guilt and blame for her death. Moreover, the relationship between Alice and Patrick, to me, had much more meaning than the relationship between him and Clara. The reason for this was becaue Patrick was so into Alice and finding more about her and her mysterious 'two-sided' character. She was a very independent girl who fought for the "plight of the immigrant workers" and it was like a duty for Patrick to find out "how she leaps from her true self to her other true self" (153). Hence, after her death, it was like the end of the world and end of finding his identity which led to anger and resentment.
Redemption, is the new. Redemption is when the theme of the story places itself into the midst of all the creation and the fall. It is when Patrick is able to look beyond the tragedies that led to his fall. Redemption was when he met Alice after Clara left him. Redemption was also when Patrick saved the cow because as I said before (in creation) it was the image of him saving the cow that foreshadowed him saving himself from the loss of identity. Also, although the scene of blowing up the waterworks may be seen as a source of 'fall' it can also be seen as redemption because with anger came the mind to blow it up, but the act of blowing it up can be seen as a way to relieve the anxiety and guilt/grief. After all, Harris had only let him go after blowing it up.
However, apart from Patrick, another important scene of redemption is the scene of Clara and Alice. Them meeting the rain with their naked bodies creates a profound beginning forthe two women. Their need to lose and forget their past as well as their weakness had made this scene powerful. Nevertheless, it was also the fact that Clara and Alice had their own power in this scene apart from any presence of a man. The relationship Patrick has with Clara and Alice are crucial when he is finding his identity; it's like he tries to find it in them. That is why the redemption for Clara and Alice is so important. In my opinion, if their redemption had not occurred, Patrick's search for identity would not have been very meaningful.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
In the Skin of a Lion
The most beautiful passage ,,
I find the most beautiful passages in this book to be the ones where it talks about Patrick's past. Readers find out about Patrick and his youth through flashbacks and these flashbacks present the reader with quite a different feeling than when reading about the bridge and the dynamites, etc. Nonetheless, the particular passage I find particularly unique is from pages 21 to 22.
This passage demonstrates freedom of the workers. A metaphor that stood out to me was “This was against the night” (22). This covers the setting of this passage as nighttime. This also emphasizes the imagery and contrast of light vs. darkness, and that contrast is what makes this passage significant. “But even to the boy of eleven, deep in the woods after midnight, this was obviously benign. Something joyous. A gift.” (21).The fact the loggers were skating in the dark (when they were supposed to be ‘resting’) showed Patrick that they were pretty much bending the rules; contrary to what he had been taught or knew. The portrayal of these loggers as “they raced, swerved, fell and rolled on the ice” created desire for Patrick, something new. These phrases demonstrate the sort of freedom the workers (loggers) had, of course, on the ice. It was a time for replenishing the soul through laughter and spirit. As aforementioned, Patrick desired to join them. He found their simple and joyous play so welcoming and full of opportunities; "Their lanterns replaced with new rushes which let them go further past boundaries, speed! romance! one man waltzing with his fire. . . ." This passage, full of imagery and symbolism makes it very poetic. One can imagine just how much fun the loggers were having and it almost makes the reader want to join as much as Patrick had desired. This is what Patrick had wanted; “He longed to hold their hands and skate the length of the creek…” (21). This passage is truly one that evokes a lot of imagery. Ondaatje chooses to let this scene come alive through his style and diction and this adds to the magical freedom depicted in this passage.
The character and I
The character that I find myself identifying with most is Alice. Moreover, I do believe that pathos is exactly the element of this response. Pathos appeals to my emotions and this is how I relate to Alice; emotionally. I find connections between Alice and me when it comes to characterization. In my opinion, Ondaatje portrays Alice as a pretty ‘strong-but-weak’ character. The story depicts Alice as a vulnerable and delicate character. In the beginning of the book, the fact that the author presents to the reader Alice as a nun shows what kind of character she is. Then, when she falls off the bridge and Nicholas Temelcoff saves her, her delicacy shown evidently. Personally, however, I would have thought that anyone who was a nun was anything but feeble and delicate. After all, the reason why people become nuns is because they set their heart to one thing, one God and nothing other. Even so, Alice is reluctant to share about her past – with Clara and Patrick – as a nun and etc. This may be because she desires to let go of her past and the anxiety that was twisted around it.
On the other hand, Alice is actually multi-skinned. Meaning, there are actually two ‘sides’ to Alice. One side is her weak side, but the other is quite the contrary. It’s like she has different skins. As mentioned on page 153, Patrick describes his uncertainty with Alice; “…he can never conceive how she leaps from her true self to her other true self.” Alice as a performer also reveals the strong-willed aspect of her character because it is through her performances that Patrick finds more clues about who she really is. Likewise, for her, that was her identity that she strongly held onto and she wouldn’t be finding other ways to get rid of it, “She would not be bossed and she was self-sufficient” (137).
As for me, I couldn’t help but find pieces of me woven through Alice. There are times when I find myself as weak and delicate as the nun portrayed on the bridge but then there is also another side of me that says I have a different sort of ‘power’ within me that I am still in the need of ‘awakening’. For Alice it was for ‘the plight of the immigrant workers’. For me, it’s the race against and along with the society. Religiously, I mean, secular vs. sacred; spiritual vs. worldly. And as a Christian, it’s a choice of which ‘mask’ or ‘skin’ to disguise myself with everyday. However, is that necessary? No. Nevertheless, it happens because I am human. However, I do have what Alice has, the will power to stand up for what I believe in and be “self-sufficient”.
The end
A major theme of this book centers around the idea that with grief comes loss of identity, but with grappling, hope and transformation may arise from the individual. As Ondaatje creates characters that are unique in their own ways, almost all the characters probably have their own ‘tragic flaw’. For Patrick, his great weakness and tragic flaw was that loss of identity. Hence, he searches for this identity through the people he meets and the tragedies that happen along the way. Not to mention, he searches for ‘light’. On page 157 it reads, “And all of his life Patrick had been oblivious to it, a searcher gazing into the darkness of his own country, a blind man dressing the heroine.” Overall, all of this is revealed in the way he engages with the people who revolve around him, which in turn, creates a more meaningful life. Moreover, this part of the story shows Patrick and his way of processing his life, building a ‘temporary’ identity as he yearns to put the puzzle pieces together, if there were any. In the end, the identity that Patrick was making for himself revolved around the people around him. It was as if those people made his identity and without them he’d be lost forever into ‘darkness’. Hence, the fact that Patrick searches for identity and light is supported with the fact that without the people around him, he’d be nothing. This clearly relates with Patrick’s downfall where there were multiple scenes when the people he’d been so tied closely to had been ‘dissolved’ from him. For this reason, with the absence of the ones who make up his identity, he would obviously be prone to disaster and downfall. In his case, this was when Clara had left him. Clearly, his obsessive cleaning of his room was due to her leaving him and he just couldn’t take it. From pages 82-83, words like, “tirades, broken, befall and doomed” all describe the situation in which Patrick was left to deal with his identity, alone.
I find the most beautiful passages in this book to be the ones where it talks about Patrick's past. Readers find out about Patrick and his youth through flashbacks and these flashbacks present the reader with quite a different feeling than when reading about the bridge and the dynamites, etc. Nonetheless, the particular passage I find particularly unique is from pages 21 to 22.
This passage demonstrates freedom of the workers. A metaphor that stood out to me was “This was against the night” (22). This covers the setting of this passage as nighttime. This also emphasizes the imagery and contrast of light vs. darkness, and that contrast is what makes this passage significant. “But even to the boy of eleven, deep in the woods after midnight, this was obviously benign. Something joyous. A gift.” (21).The fact the loggers were skating in the dark (when they were supposed to be ‘resting’) showed Patrick that they were pretty much bending the rules; contrary to what he had been taught or knew. The portrayal of these loggers as “they raced, swerved, fell and rolled on the ice” created desire for Patrick, something new. These phrases demonstrate the sort of freedom the workers (loggers) had, of course, on the ice. It was a time for replenishing the soul through laughter and spirit. As aforementioned, Patrick desired to join them. He found their simple and joyous play so welcoming and full of opportunities; "Their lanterns replaced with new rushes which let them go further past boundaries, speed! romance! one man waltzing with his fire. . . ." This passage, full of imagery and symbolism makes it very poetic. One can imagine just how much fun the loggers were having and it almost makes the reader want to join as much as Patrick had desired. This is what Patrick had wanted; “He longed to hold their hands and skate the length of the creek…” (21). This passage is truly one that evokes a lot of imagery. Ondaatje chooses to let this scene come alive through his style and diction and this adds to the magical freedom depicted in this passage.
The character and I
The character that I find myself identifying with most is Alice. Moreover, I do believe that pathos is exactly the element of this response. Pathos appeals to my emotions and this is how I relate to Alice; emotionally. I find connections between Alice and me when it comes to characterization. In my opinion, Ondaatje portrays Alice as a pretty ‘strong-but-weak’ character. The story depicts Alice as a vulnerable and delicate character. In the beginning of the book, the fact that the author presents to the reader Alice as a nun shows what kind of character she is. Then, when she falls off the bridge and Nicholas Temelcoff saves her, her delicacy shown evidently. Personally, however, I would have thought that anyone who was a nun was anything but feeble and delicate. After all, the reason why people become nuns is because they set their heart to one thing, one God and nothing other. Even so, Alice is reluctant to share about her past – with Clara and Patrick – as a nun and etc. This may be because she desires to let go of her past and the anxiety that was twisted around it.
On the other hand, Alice is actually multi-skinned. Meaning, there are actually two ‘sides’ to Alice. One side is her weak side, but the other is quite the contrary. It’s like she has different skins. As mentioned on page 153, Patrick describes his uncertainty with Alice; “…he can never conceive how she leaps from her true self to her other true self.” Alice as a performer also reveals the strong-willed aspect of her character because it is through her performances that Patrick finds more clues about who she really is. Likewise, for her, that was her identity that she strongly held onto and she wouldn’t be finding other ways to get rid of it, “She would not be bossed and she was self-sufficient” (137).
As for me, I couldn’t help but find pieces of me woven through Alice. There are times when I find myself as weak and delicate as the nun portrayed on the bridge but then there is also another side of me that says I have a different sort of ‘power’ within me that I am still in the need of ‘awakening’. For Alice it was for ‘the plight of the immigrant workers’. For me, it’s the race against and along with the society. Religiously, I mean, secular vs. sacred; spiritual vs. worldly. And as a Christian, it’s a choice of which ‘mask’ or ‘skin’ to disguise myself with everyday. However, is that necessary? No. Nevertheless, it happens because I am human. However, I do have what Alice has, the will power to stand up for what I believe in and be “self-sufficient”.
The end
A major theme of this book centers around the idea that with grief comes loss of identity, but with grappling, hope and transformation may arise from the individual. As Ondaatje creates characters that are unique in their own ways, almost all the characters probably have their own ‘tragic flaw’. For Patrick, his great weakness and tragic flaw was that loss of identity. Hence, he searches for this identity through the people he meets and the tragedies that happen along the way. Not to mention, he searches for ‘light’. On page 157 it reads, “And all of his life Patrick had been oblivious to it, a searcher gazing into the darkness of his own country, a blind man dressing the heroine.” Overall, all of this is revealed in the way he engages with the people who revolve around him, which in turn, creates a more meaningful life. Moreover, this part of the story shows Patrick and his way of processing his life, building a ‘temporary’ identity as he yearns to put the puzzle pieces together, if there were any. In the end, the identity that Patrick was making for himself revolved around the people around him. It was as if those people made his identity and without them he’d be lost forever into ‘darkness’. Hence, the fact that Patrick searches for identity and light is supported with the fact that without the people around him, he’d be nothing. This clearly relates with Patrick’s downfall where there were multiple scenes when the people he’d been so tied closely to had been ‘dissolved’ from him. For this reason, with the absence of the ones who make up his identity, he would obviously be prone to disaster and downfall. In his case, this was when Clara had left him. Clearly, his obsessive cleaning of his room was due to her leaving him and he just couldn’t take it. From pages 82-83, words like, “tirades, broken, befall and doomed” all describe the situation in which Patrick was left to deal with his identity, alone.
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