This the last week before finals, and like most students, I'm pretty scared. But anyways, this week we went over the final and we revisited what makes a super hero. I still remember how in the beginning of the year, we kept throwing out all these random traits that we believe superheroes have and need. Finally, we were able to narrow it down to about twenty traits. I believed it was a very good list that depicted what made a superhero.
In the different stories, I believe most of the main characters were superheroes. Take Beowulf for example, he was the very first superhero in literature. He came to the mead hall, representing his kingdom, and killed the monsters that were terrorizing the people. Another great hero was Gawain. There were many stories about Gawain, but the particular story we read was how he defended the honor of the entire kingdom. Even though he didn't fight gigantic monsters, he's known as the best of King Arthur's knights.
In class we also discussed what the difference between a hero, a super hero, and a superhero. Everyone had their own opinions, but this is how I see it. A hero is someone who shows courage and/or ability and uses it to help people. An example would be a police officer or a firefighter. A super hero to me is someone who has shown great courage and/or ability. A good example Professor Bahlmann made were the firefighters that helped the people during the 9/11 attacks.
Then there's superheroes, iconic people who had abilities that were so inhuman, they were able to save the world. Now in class, a lot of people regarded superheroes as only people who existed in comic books. Now I agree with them, but not 100%. I believe that a superhero is a person is a person that tried to make a difference. Someone who tried to save many people or someone who wanted to change the world for the better. Examples would include Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, the man who briefly stopped the tanks at Tienanmen Square, or even Moses from the Bible. In comics, the heroes are also making a difference; they're trying to save people.
In the comics, Batman is out every trying to save Gotham from all of these evil maniacs. Spider-Man is always out trying to save New York, even though he's still young. Superman tries to save the world with all of his powers. Even though these vigilantes are very iconic, we shouldn't forget about the superheroes we have in our world. So for my definition, a superhero is someone who goes out in the world, is unselfish of their own needs, and tries to make a difference.
WC: 457
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
4/19/2012
This week we started to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It's a medieval story taking place in Camelot, where King Arthur and his knights of the round table reside. The story starts off on new years and everyone is waiting for food to be served. Arthur said he's bored and wont eat until he see's something marvelous. Just then a random, giant, green knight walks into the hall and challenges someone to cut off his head with his own ax. Everyone is shocked, but Sir Gawain steps up, promises to play the knight's game, and chops the knight's head off. After the knight puts his head back on, he tells Gawain that in a year and one month, he Gawain to find him so that he can chop Gawain's head off.
Sadly, Gawain promised to obey the rules of the game before hearing the part about his head being chopped off. So the story continues like that and I haven't finished the story yet. So far I enjoy the story a lot and I'm expecting there to be a good ending.
This story was written after the story of Beowulf, but just before Othello. I personally found Sir Gawain and the Green Knight a lot easier to read than Shakespeare, but I later found it was actually translated by J. R. R. Tolkein. For some who might not know, J. R. R. Tolkein is mostly well known for writing the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
With the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I feel like it's just like the other stories we read, but I feel its also very unique in its own way. Tales of King Arthur and Sir Lancelot were famous stories I remember hearing when I was a kid. There were also many movie adaptions depicting Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table. I always thought that Sir Lancelot or Sir Perceval. But I don't remember hearing about a knight called Sir Gawain. It turns out that Sir Lancelot was actually one of the last knights ever added to the Round Table and that Gawain was one of the original and best of King Arthur's knights.
Today we also talked about honor. At first I was a little confused, but I think I kind of understand now. I just questioned that if Sir Gawain is told the Green Knight is coming back in a year and one month to cut his head off, why would go find the knight and let him cut his head off? According to the Professor, its all about honor. Gawain made a promise, even though he wasn't 100% clear on whole getting your head cut off.
Personally, there isn't really anything that I would sacrifice my life for. But the Spartans in 300, the Alamo, and the brave people during 9/11, they all sacrificed themselves even though they knew they were going to die. I guess it's like describing the color blue to a blind person or Daoism. I guess that's why I like these types of characters. They're selfless and they never go back on their promises.
WC: 525
Sadly, Gawain promised to obey the rules of the game before hearing the part about his head being chopped off. So the story continues like that and I haven't finished the story yet. So far I enjoy the story a lot and I'm expecting there to be a good ending.
This story was written after the story of Beowulf, but just before Othello. I personally found Sir Gawain and the Green Knight a lot easier to read than Shakespeare, but I later found it was actually translated by J. R. R. Tolkein. For some who might not know, J. R. R. Tolkein is mostly well known for writing the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
With the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I feel like it's just like the other stories we read, but I feel its also very unique in its own way. Tales of King Arthur and Sir Lancelot were famous stories I remember hearing when I was a kid. There were also many movie adaptions depicting Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table. I always thought that Sir Lancelot or Sir Perceval. But I don't remember hearing about a knight called Sir Gawain. It turns out that Sir Lancelot was actually one of the last knights ever added to the Round Table and that Gawain was one of the original and best of King Arthur's knights.
Today we also talked about honor. At first I was a little confused, but I think I kind of understand now. I just questioned that if Sir Gawain is told the Green Knight is coming back in a year and one month to cut his head off, why would go find the knight and let him cut his head off? According to the Professor, its all about honor. Gawain made a promise, even though he wasn't 100% clear on whole getting your head cut off.
Personally, there isn't really anything that I would sacrifice my life for. But the Spartans in 300, the Alamo, and the brave people during 9/11, they all sacrificed themselves even though they knew they were going to die. I guess it's like describing the color blue to a blind person or Daoism. I guess that's why I like these types of characters. They're selfless and they never go back on their promises.
WC: 525
Friday, March 30, 2012
3/30/12
This week we finished up Othello and talked about final paper ideas. On Monday, the professor was talking about how Shakespeare wrote his plays and I was a little confused. To me, it seemed like a bunch of wordy nonsense that could be summarized. But then the professor mentioned the Matrix. In the movie, the little boy told Neo he could bend the spoon because there is no spoon. It was a crypitc way of saying that the Matrix doesn't exist, therefore you can do anything. Same with Morpheus when he talked to Neo about the Matrix. He went on with a cryptic speech and said the Matrix is only an illusion you can control. It's the same as Shakespeare.
When Shakespeare wrote Othello and his other pieces of work, he wrote it in a way that was new. A way where people can enjoy the English language fully understand what the characters are feeling. I have to give Shakespeare credit, I didn't know he did so much for the English language. He created so many famous sayings and different words that I didn't give him enough credit for. Maybe if i was to reread his plays more slowly, I may be able to enjoy them a little more. In high school, I don't remember reading Shakespear, but we probably did and I just don't remember. But maybe during this spring break, I might take a look at The Tempest or Hamlet.
Yesterday wasn't really a discussion on readings, but more on brainstorming ideas for our final paper. At first I had no idea what to write when I first walked into class, but then my idea came to me. It was the same process the professor talked about before class ended. He said to take a story we read in class and say why I liked it. I liked Beowulf the most because the thought that he was the first superhero ever to be told by one of the oldest civilizations is very amazing. A hero who was stronger than 10 men, who could hold his breath under water for hours, and fight a might dragon, is a great read in my book. Then I tried to relate Beowulf to things I like. I was thinking about relating him to Superman and how they're both heroes, but it seemed a little hard. Then I started to analyze Beowulf a little more. A monster came out of no where and started killing people in the mead hall. The people are scared for their lives, and all of a sudden a great hero from a far away land comes and saves them all.
That reminded me of Clint Eastwood's character The Man With No Name from the "Dollars" western series. A hero who comes into town, saves everyone from the bad guys, then rides into the sunset not asking for a reward. There's more I can say about him, but I'll save it for the final paper. I felt that by brainstorming in class, it got my brain flowing with all these ideas on how I can write my paper.
WC: 519
When Shakespeare wrote Othello and his other pieces of work, he wrote it in a way that was new. A way where people can enjoy the English language fully understand what the characters are feeling. I have to give Shakespeare credit, I didn't know he did so much for the English language. He created so many famous sayings and different words that I didn't give him enough credit for. Maybe if i was to reread his plays more slowly, I may be able to enjoy them a little more. In high school, I don't remember reading Shakespear, but we probably did and I just don't remember. But maybe during this spring break, I might take a look at The Tempest or Hamlet.
Yesterday wasn't really a discussion on readings, but more on brainstorming ideas for our final paper. At first I had no idea what to write when I first walked into class, but then my idea came to me. It was the same process the professor talked about before class ended. He said to take a story we read in class and say why I liked it. I liked Beowulf the most because the thought that he was the first superhero ever to be told by one of the oldest civilizations is very amazing. A hero who was stronger than 10 men, who could hold his breath under water for hours, and fight a might dragon, is a great read in my book. Then I tried to relate Beowulf to things I like. I was thinking about relating him to Superman and how they're both heroes, but it seemed a little hard. Then I started to analyze Beowulf a little more. A monster came out of no where and started killing people in the mead hall. The people are scared for their lives, and all of a sudden a great hero from a far away land comes and saves them all.
That reminded me of Clint Eastwood's character The Man With No Name from the "Dollars" western series. A hero who comes into town, saves everyone from the bad guys, then rides into the sunset not asking for a reward. There's more I can say about him, but I'll save it for the final paper. I felt that by brainstorming in class, it got my brain flowing with all these ideas on how I can write my paper.
WC: 519
Friday, March 23, 2012
3/23/12
This week we talked about Othello and discussed it in class. Before that, we took our last quiz on Daoism and I was really surprised. The question that asked "of the four quotes, which one didn't come from our text" and I guessed. It turns out my guess was wrong and the quote I thought was from the Daoist text actually came from the bible. I was really amazed by that and understood that no matter what belief or philosophy one follows, it's all pretty much the same.
With the story of Othello, I have to honest I'm not a complete fan of Shakespeare. I mean I do like the stories. I believe the stories are magnificent. The problem is I can't understand what he's writing. To me, it seems its all unnecessary jargon that could be summarized in very few pages. Having said that, reading Othello was not an easy task. I had to find a helpful translator to summarize each sentence in the play. From what I read, Othello is a general for Venice and he's from North Africa. This guy Iago hates Othello for many reasons. The real reason? I don't know, but we do know Iago hates Othello a lot. So throughout the play, Iago lies and plots to get back at Othello while at the same time trying to benefit himself like stealing money.
As the story goes on, you learn that Iago tries to make it look like Othello's wife Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio, Othello's first lieutenant. I actually read ahead and found out
*SPOILER*
Othello kills Desdemona by smothering her with a pillow, then once he finds out she was actually faithful, he kills himself.
So that's how the great tragedy ends. Now Othello is not really a hero in this play, or anyone for that matter. Rather, this story doesn't have a hero like in Oedipus Wrex or Daoism. Instead this story has a great villain, Iago. This guy did so much evil just to get what he wanted. He lied to almost everyone, made things look like they were something else, and made sure he got what he wanted. Tying it back to comic books, Iago reminds me of the Joker. Not the Joker from the comics, but from the movie The Dark Knight with Christian Bale and Heath Ledger.
In the movie, we don't know who the Joker is or why he's doing these bad things. All we know is that he likes to create chaos and will kill anyone who gets in his way. Iago reminds me of the Joker because we don't have a clear reason why he wants to kill Othello (even though it just might be because Othello passed the job of lieutenant to Cassio) but we do know that he would do anything, including getting his wife involved and having people die in order to get what he wants.
WC: 487
With the story of Othello, I have to honest I'm not a complete fan of Shakespeare. I mean I do like the stories. I believe the stories are magnificent. The problem is I can't understand what he's writing. To me, it seems its all unnecessary jargon that could be summarized in very few pages. Having said that, reading Othello was not an easy task. I had to find a helpful translator to summarize each sentence in the play. From what I read, Othello is a general for Venice and he's from North Africa. This guy Iago hates Othello for many reasons. The real reason? I don't know, but we do know Iago hates Othello a lot. So throughout the play, Iago lies and plots to get back at Othello while at the same time trying to benefit himself like stealing money.
As the story goes on, you learn that Iago tries to make it look like Othello's wife Desdemona was cheating on him with Cassio, Othello's first lieutenant. I actually read ahead and found out
*SPOILER*
Othello kills Desdemona by smothering her with a pillow, then once he finds out she was actually faithful, he kills himself.
So that's how the great tragedy ends. Now Othello is not really a hero in this play, or anyone for that matter. Rather, this story doesn't have a hero like in Oedipus Wrex or Daoism. Instead this story has a great villain, Iago. This guy did so much evil just to get what he wanted. He lied to almost everyone, made things look like they were something else, and made sure he got what he wanted. Tying it back to comic books, Iago reminds me of the Joker. Not the Joker from the comics, but from the movie The Dark Knight with Christian Bale and Heath Ledger.
In the movie, we don't know who the Joker is or why he's doing these bad things. All we know is that he likes to create chaos and will kill anyone who gets in his way. Iago reminds me of the Joker because we don't have a clear reason why he wants to kill Othello (even though it just might be because Othello passed the job of lieutenant to Cassio) but we do know that he would do anything, including getting his wife involved and having people die in order to get what he wants.
WC: 487
Sunday, March 11, 2012
3/11/12
Last week we read about daoism and tried to explain what daoism, or "taoism" is. When i first read about taoism in the book, i was really confused. The first few pages were these weird sayings like "running a government is like boiling a small fish" or "woman is like river on the bottom of a mountain". It was like the kung fu philosophy instruction manual. Then it started to go on with these different stories like the man who played his lute to mimic his surroundings. Wasn't really sure what that meant.
Another story was about a man cutting ox meat with the same knife for many years. It wasn't until we talked about it in class that I understood. When it comes to doing something for so long, it becomes natural to you. I think that's what the story meant. Another story was about a man who was fishing and two of the emperor's men asked him for governing advice. The man said that he was like a prized tortoise and he should be left alone. Again I'm not sure if that's what the story meant but I think that's what we said in class.
It wasn't until the professor gave us an example of describing salt to someone who has never tasted salt. That really blew my mind. It was really hard to describe it, and I guess that's how Taoism is. It's something you can't explain in words, but something we have to discover. A "way of life teachings" we must follow. I think they have basic rules like don't fight the waves, go with the flow. It made me reflect on myself and how I live. Sometimes I try to fight things and make them work the way I want them to. But what if I just relaxed and worked my way with it? I believe its a good way to live life.
Its like a way to control emotions and to be at peace. If someone is furious, it doesn't mean you have to be furious as well. Just accept the person's angry and calmly try to solve the problem. As Americans, we could learn a thing or two about daoism. If we were to incorporate these teachings, I believe we can live more peaceful lives.
Then we watched the Matrix last class and that movie was supposed to relate to daoism. During the movie, I was more amazed about the cinematography since I haven't seen the movie in over 10 years. But I continued to watch the movie and came to a conclusion. The people who have woken up in the real world like Morpheus and Trinity understand the matrix. When Morpheus fought Neo, Morpheus told Neo "do you think that's air you are breathing? The laws of physics don't apply in the matrix. Stop trying to hit me and hit me". I feel that Morpheus' outlook on the matrix is a great example of daoism.
WC: 493
Another story was about a man cutting ox meat with the same knife for many years. It wasn't until we talked about it in class that I understood. When it comes to doing something for so long, it becomes natural to you. I think that's what the story meant. Another story was about a man who was fishing and two of the emperor's men asked him for governing advice. The man said that he was like a prized tortoise and he should be left alone. Again I'm not sure if that's what the story meant but I think that's what we said in class.
It wasn't until the professor gave us an example of describing salt to someone who has never tasted salt. That really blew my mind. It was really hard to describe it, and I guess that's how Taoism is. It's something you can't explain in words, but something we have to discover. A "way of life teachings" we must follow. I think they have basic rules like don't fight the waves, go with the flow. It made me reflect on myself and how I live. Sometimes I try to fight things and make them work the way I want them to. But what if I just relaxed and worked my way with it? I believe its a good way to live life.
Its like a way to control emotions and to be at peace. If someone is furious, it doesn't mean you have to be furious as well. Just accept the person's angry and calmly try to solve the problem. As Americans, we could learn a thing or two about daoism. If we were to incorporate these teachings, I believe we can live more peaceful lives.
Then we watched the Matrix last class and that movie was supposed to relate to daoism. During the movie, I was more amazed about the cinematography since I haven't seen the movie in over 10 years. But I continued to watch the movie and came to a conclusion. The people who have woken up in the real world like Morpheus and Trinity understand the matrix. When Morpheus fought Neo, Morpheus told Neo "do you think that's air you are breathing? The laws of physics don't apply in the matrix. Stop trying to hit me and hit me". I feel that Morpheus' outlook on the matrix is a great example of daoism.
WC: 493
Monday, March 5, 2012
3/5/12
Last week in class, we just finished the Ramayana and started to read about Daoism. At the end of Ramayana, Rama defeats Ravana with a great arrow and gets Sita back. But in getting her back, he tells Sita that he can't be with her because he suspects her of being with Ravana. Sita is so upset trying to explain to Rama that she is faithful, she stands on top of a pyre while it's on fire. All of a sudden a god saves her from the flames and tells Rama that she is pure and has done no such thing. Sita is saved and Rama said "I knew you were always faithful, but I needed the God's approval first". They all live happily ever after.
Now with that happening, its like watching Star Wars Episode I. You like the story, but there's some things you want to pretend that never happened. For example in the original trilogy of Star Wars, Jedi's believed that the Force was might power around us that jedi's can harness. In Star Wars Episode I they said in order to tell if someone can harness the force, then they would have a high midi-chlorian count. To me that sounded like one of the dumbest things Lucas put in the Star Wars universe next to Jar Jar Binks.
Besides the ending, I believe Rama is the ideal model a man. But according to a discussion we had, the whole class had an idea of a model for the ideal man and the ideal woman. Guys said that the ideal guys are Clint Eastwood, Michael Jordan, John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and others. Girls said that the ideal woman would be Hilary Clinton, Oprah, and I wasn't paying attention to the rest. But when it came time for guys to choose the ideal woman and girls to choose the ideal man, it was a little hectic. I remember guys choosing Beyonce and some random model while girls chose Channing Tatum, Kobe Bryant, and some other guys. To me it seems that when you get someone to come up with the ideal of the opposite sex, they start to think about the most attractive rather than the model of hero. It goes to show you we all have an idea of role-model and hero.
I also read Daoism and I can say that this was one of the most difficult readings I've ever had in my educational life time. I always thought Fyodor Dostoevsky was difficult, but this was like something out of an old 70's
kung-fu movie. It talked about lots of thins like how the people alive are limber while the dead are stiff. Moral of the passage is to always be limber. I try to understand it, but for the most part some of it is a little confusing. Reading it, I feel like I'm being lectured by Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid.
WC: 488
Now with that happening, its like watching Star Wars Episode I. You like the story, but there's some things you want to pretend that never happened. For example in the original trilogy of Star Wars, Jedi's believed that the Force was might power around us that jedi's can harness. In Star Wars Episode I they said in order to tell if someone can harness the force, then they would have a high midi-chlorian count. To me that sounded like one of the dumbest things Lucas put in the Star Wars universe next to Jar Jar Binks.
Besides the ending, I believe Rama is the ideal model a man. But according to a discussion we had, the whole class had an idea of a model for the ideal man and the ideal woman. Guys said that the ideal guys are Clint Eastwood, Michael Jordan, John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and others. Girls said that the ideal woman would be Hilary Clinton, Oprah, and I wasn't paying attention to the rest. But when it came time for guys to choose the ideal woman and girls to choose the ideal man, it was a little hectic. I remember guys choosing Beyonce and some random model while girls chose Channing Tatum, Kobe Bryant, and some other guys. To me it seems that when you get someone to come up with the ideal of the opposite sex, they start to think about the most attractive rather than the model of hero. It goes to show you we all have an idea of role-model and hero.
I also read Daoism and I can say that this was one of the most difficult readings I've ever had in my educational life time. I always thought Fyodor Dostoevsky was difficult, but this was like something out of an old 70's
kung-fu movie. It talked about lots of thins like how the people alive are limber while the dead are stiff. Moral of the passage is to always be limber. I try to understand it, but for the most part some of it is a little confusing. Reading it, I feel like I'm being lectured by Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid.
WC: 488
Sunday, February 26, 2012
2/26/12
Last week, we finished up Gilgamesh and started reading the Ramayana. Gilgamesh's friend Enkidu dies, so Gilgamesh goes on a long quest to find immortality because he fears death. In the end of the story, he doesn't find immortality but a thorny branch that gives him youth. Sadly a snake eats it and he loses the power of youth. Moral of the story is no man can live forever and become young again.
In Ramayana, Rama was about to become a king but his step mom didn't want that to happen. So the step mom used two of her promised on the king to make her son the king and to exile Rama to the forest for 14 years. Even though the king didn't want to do it, he couldn't go back on a promise. He was balling his eyes out when the stepmother told Rama that he was to be exiled under the king's orders. Even though the king didn't want to, Rama agreed with no questions asked.
For the Gilgamesh story, I felt it wasn't really a story of a hero but of a king who was afraid of death. It kind of reminded me of Beowulf in which the morale of the story was that everybody dies, even the greatest. Gilgamesh did fight the giant bull and the demon in the forest, but he didn't fight those creatures to protect the people, but fought them because he was bored. If Gilgamesh was a real fighter, he would've found more ways to protect the people.
I enjoyed Ramayana a little more, especially because I did a presentation on the story in class. I feel that Rama is the ideal person we should all strive to be. We should also be like the king who always honored his promises. But anyways, I believe that Rama wasn't being passive but he was just obeying his father's word. I believe we should all be like Rama learn to control our emotions and follow our elder's words. Now a days majority of us question our parent's logic, disobey people with power, and try to work around the law. If we were to all be like Rama and to control our emotions, I believe the world would be a little less violent.
In Ramayana, the king was crying when his wife told Rama that he must be exiled to the forest for 14 years. As the king, he could have just told her no and continue to let Rama become prince. Instead he was balling his eyes out as his son accepted his fate. I have to give it up to the king because that must be hurtful that you promised the entire kingdom that Rama was going to be king, but now you go back on your word because of promises you made to your wife. It goes to show you that as a king, you must always keep your promises, no matter what.
Also when the king was crying, I believe he had no shame at all. In our society, its unmanly to cry at all. In my opinion if you feel like crying, then cry. The only catch is, don't cry in public. Instead, cry where no one will see you.
WC: 541
In Ramayana, Rama was about to become a king but his step mom didn't want that to happen. So the step mom used two of her promised on the king to make her son the king and to exile Rama to the forest for 14 years. Even though the king didn't want to do it, he couldn't go back on a promise. He was balling his eyes out when the stepmother told Rama that he was to be exiled under the king's orders. Even though the king didn't want to, Rama agreed with no questions asked.
For the Gilgamesh story, I felt it wasn't really a story of a hero but of a king who was afraid of death. It kind of reminded me of Beowulf in which the morale of the story was that everybody dies, even the greatest. Gilgamesh did fight the giant bull and the demon in the forest, but he didn't fight those creatures to protect the people, but fought them because he was bored. If Gilgamesh was a real fighter, he would've found more ways to protect the people.
I enjoyed Ramayana a little more, especially because I did a presentation on the story in class. I feel that Rama is the ideal person we should all strive to be. We should also be like the king who always honored his promises. But anyways, I believe that Rama wasn't being passive but he was just obeying his father's word. I believe we should all be like Rama learn to control our emotions and follow our elder's words. Now a days majority of us question our parent's logic, disobey people with power, and try to work around the law. If we were to all be like Rama and to control our emotions, I believe the world would be a little less violent.
In Ramayana, the king was crying when his wife told Rama that he must be exiled to the forest for 14 years. As the king, he could have just told her no and continue to let Rama become prince. Instead he was balling his eyes out as his son accepted his fate. I have to give it up to the king because that must be hurtful that you promised the entire kingdom that Rama was going to be king, but now you go back on your word because of promises you made to your wife. It goes to show you that as a king, you must always keep your promises, no matter what.
Also when the king was crying, I believe he had no shame at all. In our society, its unmanly to cry at all. In my opinion if you feel like crying, then cry. The only catch is, don't cry in public. Instead, cry where no one will see you.
WC: 541
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Last week we talked about Gilgamesh and the Iliad. In Gilgamesh, there was king named Gilgamesh who did many bad things like have sex with any woman he wanted. There was no one equal to him, so the gods created Enkidu. Enkidu was like an animal and when he fought Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh stopped the fight and called Enkidu his equal. Then for no reason, they start to go on journeys to slay down monsters as friends.
This story was really weird, given that you're a bad king in beginning, you fight with guy which you become friends with, you go kill a monster with your friend for no reason, then you're considered a hero at the end. For some reason, I can't wrap my mind around it. It's like if Superman and Lex Luther were fight with each other, Superman and Lex become friends, then they both go fight evil together. It seems hard to believe that you were a bad person, then you become good?
Maybe it's also like fairy tales. A little girl walking to her grandmothers house and before she gets to the house, a talking wolf tries to stop her. Or a random girl walks into a house which has an obsession of three's, and later finds out its inhabitants are talking bears. I used to enjoy fairy tales, but now reading this type of literature as an adult, it seems very silly. Maybe its like Gilgamesh and Beowulf, because I shouldn't question why Enkidu and Gilgamesh automatically become friends or why Beowulf can hold his breath for four hours. I believe the Professor called it the benefit of the doubt. In order for me to enjoy stories like these, I shouldn't question every single detail and just go with it.
We also talked about how some texts in Gilgamesh might be related to stories in the Bible. Two examples were the great flood Noah went through and Adam and Eve. Noah had an ark with two of each animal during the flood while in Gilgamesh, they said a great flood cleaned the earth. Adam and Eve were very closely related to Enkidu and the harlot. After Enkidu was done, he felt humble and needed clothing. Some people may deny it out front that Gilgamesh and the Bible are not connected in anyway, but as a christian I like to have an open mind about my beliefs. To have these stories be alike seems like maybe there really was a flood or there really was an Adam and Eve. Maybe we're all connected somehow and we're all aware of these things. I just find it interesting also that some people can cover their ears and call it lies, but there's no need. The Bible and the Koran have many things in common, and we all have beliefs of spirits all around the world. So from this, it just makes me really curious.
WC: 486
This story was really weird, given that you're a bad king in beginning, you fight with guy which you become friends with, you go kill a monster with your friend for no reason, then you're considered a hero at the end. For some reason, I can't wrap my mind around it. It's like if Superman and Lex Luther were fight with each other, Superman and Lex become friends, then they both go fight evil together. It seems hard to believe that you were a bad person, then you become good?
Maybe it's also like fairy tales. A little girl walking to her grandmothers house and before she gets to the house, a talking wolf tries to stop her. Or a random girl walks into a house which has an obsession of three's, and later finds out its inhabitants are talking bears. I used to enjoy fairy tales, but now reading this type of literature as an adult, it seems very silly. Maybe its like Gilgamesh and Beowulf, because I shouldn't question why Enkidu and Gilgamesh automatically become friends or why Beowulf can hold his breath for four hours. I believe the Professor called it the benefit of the doubt. In order for me to enjoy stories like these, I shouldn't question every single detail and just go with it.
We also talked about how some texts in Gilgamesh might be related to stories in the Bible. Two examples were the great flood Noah went through and Adam and Eve. Noah had an ark with two of each animal during the flood while in Gilgamesh, they said a great flood cleaned the earth. Adam and Eve were very closely related to Enkidu and the harlot. After Enkidu was done, he felt humble and needed clothing. Some people may deny it out front that Gilgamesh and the Bible are not connected in anyway, but as a christian I like to have an open mind about my beliefs. To have these stories be alike seems like maybe there really was a flood or there really was an Adam and Eve. Maybe we're all connected somehow and we're all aware of these things. I just find it interesting also that some people can cover their ears and call it lies, but there's no need. The Bible and the Koran have many things in common, and we all have beliefs of spirits all around the world. So from this, it just makes me really curious.
WC: 486
Sunday, February 12, 2012
2/12/12
Last week made me think about the Iliad. I'm pretty sure I read the story back in high school, but I don't really remember it now. What did make me interested was the talk of Greek gods and goddesses. When I think of the word god, I think of an omnipotent being who can bend reality at whim. In Greek mythology on the other hand, the gods weren't omnipotent and had so many flaws.
The idea itself about how a guy named Chronos created the titans which were his children and tried to eat them. Then Zeus stopped him and now all the gods live on Mount Olympus. Each god has some sort of trait or traits that the people would prey for. For example, if someone wanted to pray for a glorious war, they would pray to Ares. Or if they wanted to hear a prophecy or to lift a plague, people would pray to Apollo.
This talk of Greek gods actually started to remind me of the Disney movie Hercules. How he was a demi-god and that he was a hero to the people trying to get back to his family on Mount Olympus. Now I'm pretty sure that the movie wasn't really that close to what happened in Greek mythology, but I believe it got kids interested into learning more about the gods. The Greeks had so great epics like The Odyssey or The Iliad that it was fun to imagine that these men could interact or even try to work against the gods and show how mighty the human spirit is. There probably movies that were created depicting the Odyssey or the Iliad, but it may be nice to see them in HD and CGI monsters.
But to what we read in the class, I thought book 1 of the Iliad was quite interesting. Achilles loses his trophy girl to Agamemnon so that Apollo can stop a plague and Achilles cries to his mom and makes her convince Zeus to be on her side so that the Trojans would lose the war. I think it seems petty what Achilles did. Just because he lost a girl he got during a raiding of a city and losing her to another guy, it's done right pathetic. I say if he was a real man, he should suck it up and understand it's because of that sacrifice a plague would be lifted and many lives would've been saved. But no, what does he do? He prays to his mom so that the Greeks would win and steps out of the army just so he can watch Agamemnon and the other Trojans die. Very pathetic.
WC: 445
The idea itself about how a guy named Chronos created the titans which were his children and tried to eat them. Then Zeus stopped him and now all the gods live on Mount Olympus. Each god has some sort of trait or traits that the people would prey for. For example, if someone wanted to pray for a glorious war, they would pray to Ares. Or if they wanted to hear a prophecy or to lift a plague, people would pray to Apollo.
This talk of Greek gods actually started to remind me of the Disney movie Hercules. How he was a demi-god and that he was a hero to the people trying to get back to his family on Mount Olympus. Now I'm pretty sure that the movie wasn't really that close to what happened in Greek mythology, but I believe it got kids interested into learning more about the gods. The Greeks had so great epics like The Odyssey or The Iliad that it was fun to imagine that these men could interact or even try to work against the gods and show how mighty the human spirit is. There probably movies that were created depicting the Odyssey or the Iliad, but it may be nice to see them in HD and CGI monsters.
But to what we read in the class, I thought book 1 of the Iliad was quite interesting. Achilles loses his trophy girl to Agamemnon so that Apollo can stop a plague and Achilles cries to his mom and makes her convince Zeus to be on her side so that the Trojans would lose the war. I think it seems petty what Achilles did. Just because he lost a girl he got during a raiding of a city and losing her to another guy, it's done right pathetic. I say if he was a real man, he should suck it up and understand it's because of that sacrifice a plague would be lifted and many lives would've been saved. But no, what does he do? He prays to his mom so that the Greeks would win and steps out of the army just so he can watch Agamemnon and the other Trojans die. Very pathetic.
WC: 445
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Last week in class we finished up Beowulf and started reading Oedipus Rex. In the last part of Beowulf, king Beowulf is old and not as strong as he used to be. A dragon attacks his kingdom and he goes with 12 other men to kill the dragon. He kills the dragon but in in exchange he loses his life. The story shows that even though you're a great hero, you're still only human and humans die.
The other story was more complex. It was about King Oedipus who was a king. There was a curse in his kingdom of Thebes and the only way for the curse to be lifted was to find the man who killed the former king. Tiresias the blind prophet tells him that he was the one who killed the former king. Oedipus was furious, but then starts to realize something. It is known that there was a prophecy that the prince of Thebes was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Even though Oedipus was abandoned on the hill side, he was raised as an orphan and never knew he was a prince.
So knowing that he fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, a question has risen. Is it possible to run away from destiny? This is a hard question to answer because it's very complex. Maybe its the fact that you're told that something is going to happen, therefore you try your best to not make it happen. But in reality, it's because you know what will happen, you drive yourself so in the end it does happen.
We only know of destiny from old stories and modern television and movies. In the shows sometimes when someone can see the future, they can alter it. But other times, when they know the future and try to change it, the outcome still happens and it was because they tried to change the future, the outcome stayed as it is.
Personally I really don't know what to believe in. I mean its a nice idea that I'm meant for great things, and that everything I do will lead me to fulfilling my destiny. But at the same time, destiny can be what I make it to be. Like if I chose my destiny to make a difference in this world, then more than likely I'll have fulfilled my destiny if I worked hard enough. I don't think destiny is as concrete like you're destined to die in an airplane accident or you're destined to be a lawyer. I think it's more on the lines of "I'm destined to change the world for the good of mankind" or "I was destined to always make this man/woman happy, no matter what". Maybe if we were to view destiny like that, it wouldn't be as complicated.
WC: 475
The other story was more complex. It was about King Oedipus who was a king. There was a curse in his kingdom of Thebes and the only way for the curse to be lifted was to find the man who killed the former king. Tiresias the blind prophet tells him that he was the one who killed the former king. Oedipus was furious, but then starts to realize something. It is known that there was a prophecy that the prince of Thebes was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Even though Oedipus was abandoned on the hill side, he was raised as an orphan and never knew he was a prince.
So knowing that he fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, a question has risen. Is it possible to run away from destiny? This is a hard question to answer because it's very complex. Maybe its the fact that you're told that something is going to happen, therefore you try your best to not make it happen. But in reality, it's because you know what will happen, you drive yourself so in the end it does happen.
We only know of destiny from old stories and modern television and movies. In the shows sometimes when someone can see the future, they can alter it. But other times, when they know the future and try to change it, the outcome still happens and it was because they tried to change the future, the outcome stayed as it is.
Personally I really don't know what to believe in. I mean its a nice idea that I'm meant for great things, and that everything I do will lead me to fulfilling my destiny. But at the same time, destiny can be what I make it to be. Like if I chose my destiny to make a difference in this world, then more than likely I'll have fulfilled my destiny if I worked hard enough. I don't think destiny is as concrete like you're destined to die in an airplane accident or you're destined to be a lawyer. I think it's more on the lines of "I'm destined to change the world for the good of mankind" or "I was destined to always make this man/woman happy, no matter what". Maybe if we were to view destiny like that, it wouldn't be as complicated.
WC: 475
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Week of 1/23/12
Arvin Padua
This week we started to talk a little more about Beowulf and it's origins. Back then, people needed that kind of hero to look to. To have that icon of right doings. But it also made me think about Villains. Unlike the villains back then, comic book villains usually have a back story and a reason why they're evil.
For example, Mr. Freeze who was a villain from the famous Batman series. Fries grew up in a family of molecular biologists. When he was a kid, he was fascinated with the idea of freezing animals so they could exist in the future. A little insane, but I've heard worse. He was sent to boarding school where he was detached from society and was miserable.
He met the love of his life Nora and was madly in love. Soon his wife acquired a disease and Fries attempts to pt her in cryo-stasis. In other words, freeze her until a cure is found. He attempts to create a freeze gun which goes terribly wrong and his experiment malfunctions, causing an ice explosion. Some how he survived, but now he can only survive at sub-zero temperatures. So he created a suit to keep his temperature at sub-zero, and uses a freeze ray to rob banks and other evil doings so she can get enough money to create his machine and save his wife.
So basically, this guy is evil because he loves his wife. Why was Grendal evil? Because he just is. He was a descendant of Cain, who which he killed his own brother in the bible, therefore making him also evil. Do you see the difference? Most villains today have a motive for their evil doings. Examples could be to get revenge on the people who did them wrong, to get the greatest treasures, or to change society. But the villains in Beowulf like Grendal's mother is evil because she just is.
I guess I can understand that's how it was back then. Either you were a righteous lamb or God, or an evil spawn of Satan. Though now that I think about it, we do have the Joker. He doesn't really have much of an explained backstory, but in the The Dark Knight movie he was just evil because he loved to see carnage and chaos.
But also, I really do enjoy the class. I like how we all discuss about the stories we read and how we can relate to them. Compared to my other english classes in the past, we just read then come to class and the professor lectures for about an hour, tells us what to read next, then go. I like how we can all give input in the class, and the fact that relating it to superheros makes it more understandable.
WC: 467
This week we started to talk a little more about Beowulf and it's origins. Back then, people needed that kind of hero to look to. To have that icon of right doings. But it also made me think about Villains. Unlike the villains back then, comic book villains usually have a back story and a reason why they're evil.
For example, Mr. Freeze who was a villain from the famous Batman series. Fries grew up in a family of molecular biologists. When he was a kid, he was fascinated with the idea of freezing animals so they could exist in the future. A little insane, but I've heard worse. He was sent to boarding school where he was detached from society and was miserable.
He met the love of his life Nora and was madly in love. Soon his wife acquired a disease and Fries attempts to pt her in cryo-stasis. In other words, freeze her until a cure is found. He attempts to create a freeze gun which goes terribly wrong and his experiment malfunctions, causing an ice explosion. Some how he survived, but now he can only survive at sub-zero temperatures. So he created a suit to keep his temperature at sub-zero, and uses a freeze ray to rob banks and other evil doings so she can get enough money to create his machine and save his wife.
So basically, this guy is evil because he loves his wife. Why was Grendal evil? Because he just is. He was a descendant of Cain, who which he killed his own brother in the bible, therefore making him also evil. Do you see the difference? Most villains today have a motive for their evil doings. Examples could be to get revenge on the people who did them wrong, to get the greatest treasures, or to change society. But the villains in Beowulf like Grendal's mother is evil because she just is.
I guess I can understand that's how it was back then. Either you were a righteous lamb or God, or an evil spawn of Satan. Though now that I think about it, we do have the Joker. He doesn't really have much of an explained backstory, but in the The Dark Knight movie he was just evil because he loved to see carnage and chaos.
But also, I really do enjoy the class. I like how we all discuss about the stories we read and how we can relate to them. Compared to my other english classes in the past, we just read then come to class and the professor lectures for about an hour, tells us what to read next, then go. I like how we can all give input in the class, and the fact that relating it to superheros makes it more understandable.
WC: 467
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Week of 1/16/2012
Arvin Padua
To be honest, that last time I had a blog was when Myspace was popular. So it was probably during my sophomore year in high school. I don't think you can call Facebook or Twitter blogs, but I guess that doesn't really matter.
When I first chose this class, I was told it was better than Eng 232 because most of the reading in Eng 231 were already covered in high school and the literature in Eng 232 is a little difficult. Especially since most of the readings in Eng 232 are from around the world, it may be hard to understand.
When I first came into class, I noticed there were that there were a lot of people so I assumed that the class was a requirement. I also noticed that the professor was wearing a Captain America emblem belt buckle which made me to suspect he might be a fan of super heroes.
Boy was I right. One of the first things he talked about was American super heroes and I was very pleased. Out of all my professors, I've never met one that had an interest in Batman, The X-Men, Superman, or even know who The Green Arrow was. It was after he called role he started to make a list about what makes a super hero. During both class sessions, we discussed how today's super heroes were violent, had complex personalities, a complicated past, were very attractive, well fit, and a symbol of justice.
What the professor was trying to tell us was these were the attributes of what makes a super hero. It also tied in back to the reading we had to do. Beowulf was the first known poem that told the story of Beowulf, a brave and fearless hero who slayed powerful monsters in Scandinavia. By discussing the list of attributes of what makes a hero, it helped me to understand how people saw heroes back in the 8th century.
When I first attempted to read Beowulf, I had a very hard time to grasp what was being said or what was happening in the story. I actually had to look online to understand who the characters were or what was going on in a particular scene. I learned that these poems were originally read aloud to people in a giant room, so I tried reading the poem again but this time I read it out loud. It was a big improvement and I was able to grasp what was going on.
After I finished part 1, I tried to compare the story to a modern day super hero story. Beowulf was very wordy, especially when it takes a whole page to express how you feel at a certain moment. I felt like I could have summarized the whole reading onto one page. But besides that, I could see why this poem is such a masterpiece. A brave and powerful warrior from a far away land comes to rip the arm off of a demon and rids the people of fear and despair.
All in all, it was a good reading but I would have wished it was easier to read. Especially since my foreign friend is also in the class and he was having trouble reading the story. Maybe the next story or the story after will be easier to read.
559 WORDS
To be honest, that last time I had a blog was when Myspace was popular. So it was probably during my sophomore year in high school. I don't think you can call Facebook or Twitter blogs, but I guess that doesn't really matter.
When I first chose this class, I was told it was better than Eng 232 because most of the reading in Eng 231 were already covered in high school and the literature in Eng 232 is a little difficult. Especially since most of the readings in Eng 232 are from around the world, it may be hard to understand.
When I first came into class, I noticed there were that there were a lot of people so I assumed that the class was a requirement. I also noticed that the professor was wearing a Captain America emblem belt buckle which made me to suspect he might be a fan of super heroes.
Boy was I right. One of the first things he talked about was American super heroes and I was very pleased. Out of all my professors, I've never met one that had an interest in Batman, The X-Men, Superman, or even know who The Green Arrow was. It was after he called role he started to make a list about what makes a super hero. During both class sessions, we discussed how today's super heroes were violent, had complex personalities, a complicated past, were very attractive, well fit, and a symbol of justice.
What the professor was trying to tell us was these were the attributes of what makes a super hero. It also tied in back to the reading we had to do. Beowulf was the first known poem that told the story of Beowulf, a brave and fearless hero who slayed powerful monsters in Scandinavia. By discussing the list of attributes of what makes a hero, it helped me to understand how people saw heroes back in the 8th century.
When I first attempted to read Beowulf, I had a very hard time to grasp what was being said or what was happening in the story. I actually had to look online to understand who the characters were or what was going on in a particular scene. I learned that these poems were originally read aloud to people in a giant room, so I tried reading the poem again but this time I read it out loud. It was a big improvement and I was able to grasp what was going on.
After I finished part 1, I tried to compare the story to a modern day super hero story. Beowulf was very wordy, especially when it takes a whole page to express how you feel at a certain moment. I felt like I could have summarized the whole reading onto one page. But besides that, I could see why this poem is such a masterpiece. A brave and powerful warrior from a far away land comes to rip the arm off of a demon and rids the people of fear and despair.
All in all, it was a good reading but I would have wished it was easier to read. Especially since my foreign friend is also in the class and he was having trouble reading the story. Maybe the next story or the story after will be easier to read.
559 WORDS
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