The Toughest Play

Shakespeare is not only something you learn in school and then forget about it. It´s a piece of literature that exist in your everyday life, even in the harshest places: a level 4 high security prison. It is hard to picture an Act V scene taking place in the prisons theater, filled with huge tough guys looking at the scene and at their fellow inmates. It kind of reminds me to Adam Sandler´s, The Longest Yard were all the inmates are recruited for the football team to play against "THE GUARDS!!"

During this radio show from This American Life Jack Hitt hits up the prison every 2 months to meet and talk to the inmates that make the Shakespearean play possible. The prisoners not only tell them their experience in the making of the scenes but also their personal experience in dealing with the plays message of committing or not committing a murder, which many of them can relate to. Personally I think many of the inmates get a chance to over think their life decisions during the Hamlet play especially the Hamlet actors. However there was one particular prisoner that grabbed my attention and that was Big Hutch a very big guy given his nickname that describes himself as the "killer whale" of the prison. It is even hard to imagine how one of the meanest guys of the prison takes part of the play, something that was thought to be lame. Again I can relate Big Hutch to the Big Khalifa in The Longest Yard a very big guy that did not talk; instead he kicked everyone's butt.

During the radio show a kept thinking on how analytical Big Hutch was and how he told Jack that Hamlet had not internal conflict, instead he was just a coward for not acting against his father's murder, comparing it to how they used to rape her daughter telling Jack that he was not gonna stay leg crossed while they did that to her instead he decided to take action for it.

Last but not least I liked how Big Hutch compared the prisons main yard to Hamlets play, the was the Claudius that wanted power, drugs, etc: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the rats that told everything to the administration and so on.

“The Angel and The Devil

In the Northrop essay the author talks about the "central preoccupation of Romanticism: the conflict of consciousness and action." During this essay I kept thinking on how almost all of the critical essays are related to Hamlets main problem which is his conscience, which defies his ability to act. During this essay Frye talks about how Hamlets conscience doesn't let him kill his ungrateful uncle by orders of his dead father, hence the "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy which is a confrontation between Hamlets right or wrong. Personally in this scene from the play I can actually see or imagine Hamlet just standing there while the devil and the angel each stand on a shoulder having the "To Be o Not to Be" talk. This essay in particular brought my attention due to the fact that it gives a clear understanding of the main internal conflict of the play and Hamlet.

What Is Freud Talking About?

The extract from The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud talks about Hamlets impotency. He describes him as "the type of man whose power of direct action is paralyzed by an excessive development oh his intellect". Freud describes Hamlet as the type of guy that over thinks everything, which is the most general characterization in Hamlet, Freud over thinks the topic and takes Hamlets actions as not an over thinker about everything and gives the reader examples in which he kills a series of man in the play without thinking it twice. It is the fact if vengeance towards his father that makes him over thinks everything. Furthermore Freud analyses Shakespeare and his history while he was writing Hamlet, which leads him to think that Shakespeare wrote about things that were trouble ling him during that time (like the death of his son Hamnet). I liked the fact that Freud does not only try to understand Hamlets actions of thought but those of the writer and reaches a conclusion that is not only true but interesting: "so all genuinely creative writing are the product of more than a single motive and more than a single impulse in the poet´s mind, and are open to more than a single interpretation".

To Be or Not To Be, That Is the Video

In the three different Hamlet plays the producers and directors choose to guide and tell the story in a different way, however following the same plot development. In the Ethan Hawke production Hamlet is an ordinary guy that walks through modern day life. It is during the "To Be or Not To Be" scene that the actor finds himself in a blockbuster action aisle which is kind of ironic knowing that Hamlet talks a lot about revenge, action, and death but he never makes them happen, instead he over thinks everything to the point of not over going any of his plans. This production was in my opinion the most interesting I like how the director makes probably one of the most famous Shakespearean lines something very normal as if it was only a simply question at the end of the day. However the David Tenant is completely different from this one, evoking the message of a crazy Hamlet that's seems so over thought per say that his conscious has brought him to a point of no return, a dead end. It is in this production that we can see the dark side of Hamlet as a "nut job". From this production I liked how the director uses dark lights to create a feeling of darkness to the viewer, fortifying the crazy Hamlet reaction. Last but not least the Kenneth Brennagh production seems the most boring or traditional for me, it portrays a Hamlet that just makes a question to him of life and death but does not impose a great importance on it, even though the actor tries to act mysterious and paranoiac.

Shut the Hell Up…You Old Women

Lady de Bourgh despite being called a LADY isn't really one. When Elizabeth gets to Charlottes house Mr. Collins takes Elizabeth to meet his patroness. During the meeting Lady de Bourgh spends the whole evening just "spitting" at Elizabeth faces, basically stating that her family is just a piece of crap. How all her sisters are poorly taught and how not even one excels in an art. She also takes the time to tell Elizabeth to stay out of her family's business knowing some facts about Darcy and her.

To my surprise Elizabeth doesn't bend her head and look at the ground, she looks her straight at the eye and stands up for what she beliefs and protects her family even though she knows it is not the most cultures one.

The view I had about Elizabeth changed completely in this part of the novel I loved how she can't really find her path in love, but stands up for her beliefs something a women 200 years ago would commonly not do.

I know belief that Elizabeth is a strong person that evokes confidence but at the same time an odd feeling making her such an important character in the novel.

Where Is All The Pride?

After Bingley´s escape the Bennet family especially Mrs. Bennet tries to re unite the love between Bingley and Jane sending Bingley letters over to London. Unfortunately the letter they receive in response is just stating that Bingley will stay at London further more giving an end to the relationship.

One thing that caught my attention was how letters are so important in the novel and in the historical context. As I read the novel I realized how the families exchanged information letting each other what they felt or simply talking about a hard day. Even though the most shocking things of the letters were how I compared them to today's "letters" and how the world has become such a virtual place.

Something that came to my surprise was how Charlotte a long ago friend of Elizabeth accepts to marry Mr. Collins. In my opinion I don't feel it was wrong for her to do that as long as she loved him. However I would have imagined that Elizabeth felt a weird feeling inside of her, knowing that she had the chance to marry him.

With Charlotte and Mr. Collins gone Mr. Bennet´s brother, Mr. Gardiner comes to visit and decides to take Jane to London to ease the pain she had after Bingley leaving town. I feel that it was a bad move coming from Mr. Gardiner knowing that Bingley lived in London, therefore giving Jane false hopes about trying to regain Bingley´s love.

After Jane leaves Netherfield with his uncle Elizabeth starts to questions Wickham´s love and thinks about the different opinions her family has giving her. After a while she receives a few letters from Jane saying that Miss. Bingley thinks she is an obstacle to Bingley marring Georgiana Darcy.

However the reader learns that Wickham is in love with another girl that has just gained a large fortune….hmmm this sounds fishy. Elizabeth in dismay just states that she has been hurt "but slightly… and her vanity was satisfied with believing that she would have been his only choice"

I really hate this Wickham guy he is actually a gold digger that doesn't care about hurting women's feelings, it is people like this that make the novel interesting and give the reader a space to reflect on themselves and the novels, giving a huge space for criticism…I kind of relate it to the feeling you get while watching a Mexican "telenovela".

During the next couple of months Elizabeth decides to travel to Charlotte´s new home and decides to stop in London for a night to visit Jane and his uncles. They have a conversation about Wickham being a "rat" but curiously Elizabeth defends him clearly stating that she is mentally unwell (why would you defend someone that broke your heart?). The next day she decides to resume her journey over to Charlottes, and is invited by the Gardiners to take part in a tour out in the lakes which Elizabeth accepts.

Which Side Are You In??

While the novels starts taking "sides" the reader can notice that Elizabeth is a very complicated women, at first falling for Darcy and then for Wickham. However Wickham does not attend Bingley´s balls causing a great sense of dismay to Elizabeth. Even though, Elizabeth, decides to flow with the balls spirits and finds herself dancing with Mr. Collins and lastly with Darcy, which for her is a huge mistake. I belief that Elizabeth is just a girl that hasn't really found her place in her family and simply sailing in a dark ocean not knowing where to go. It is actually very funny how she finds herself in these awkward moments, making the reader notice that she has no self-control. Elizabeth then finds out that Wickham did not attend the balls due to a fight that Darcy and Wickham have, making Elizabeth even madder at Darcy, however she doesn't really know at the time why they hate each other so much and decides to just take Wickham´s side.

An interesting event during the novel is how Mr. Collins is actually never taken seriously and is always left to be talked alone. During the ball he realizes his patroness; Lady Catherine is related to Darcy, anxious to talk to him about it Darcy simply leaves him "hanging". I also felt kind of bad when he proposes to Elizabeth but she turns him down at first very politely but Mr. Collins keeps on pushing for it making Elizabeth so nervous that she states it really loud and clear that she doesn't want to be her wife.

After the ball the reader can infer how awkward the Bennet family really is. I can perfectly picture it, a very traditional English home, wooden floors, a fireplace, and a crude animal scent that perforates the buildings walls, then Mary playing and awful piano tune, Mr. Collins giving another boring speech, and the loud Mrs. Bennet talking about how great an alliance between Bingley and Jane: a chaos.

With Elizabeth refusal to Mr. Collins proposal she runs away from home to try to cool off, but Mrs. Bennet as it would be expected of her follows her to tell her that a marriage between them would save the Bennet house. Dismayed by her mother's accusation she turns her down and Mrs. Bennet threatens her to never speak to her again but her dad decides to help her daughter at this one, also giving her spouse a hard time.

We also learn that Bingley has decided to run away from Netherfield giving an end to Jane's engagement. Furious Elizabeth tries to make her sister feels better by telling her it was just a plan of Mrs. Bingley to try to separate the marriage.

From Town to Town

As the novels keeps on moving we learn that there are every time more and more neighboring town to the one the Bennets and Bingley live in. I believe this makes the reading much more interesting or in a way less "boring", I believe this is the case because the families travel across the country to meet new people, giving the reader a constant inflow of new characters. I belief this makes this novel far more interesting and differentiate it from normal stories in which the characters don't change a lot during the novel, instead it allows you to open your mind to make up a story for each and every one of them.

I also find it interesting how the use of the neighboring towns gives the story the feeling of a more modern mood, in which people travelled in horses and women were dresses to the time. As I read the book I can imagine an Amish village where everybody knows each other's pros and cons, but nobody has the "guts" to tell them to the person.

Chapter 11 starts off with the daughters return from Netherfield, we also learn that a guy named Mr. Collins which is Mr. Bennets cousin sends him a letters telling him his house is entitled to him, he later on goes to the Bennets house to observe what one day will be his (the Bennets house). The guy in my opinion is a little rude even though he begs for pardon for just "popping" in and clarifying that the house will one day be his. I belief Mr. Collins is a new character which portrays from my viewpoint a mysterious character, where did he appear from and how did he obtain the house, were the first questions that came into my mind as I read the passage.

"After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained:
"About a month ago I received this letter; and about a fortnight ago I answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention. It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases."
"Oh! my dear," cried his wife, "I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it." (46)

The reader can deduce that Mr. Bennet is not a strong man or was scared to tell his family about his problems, or simply just doesn't like to be helped (too proud) I like the fact that his wife grounds him as she cries, it makes a mental picture of a Mexican soap opera with the whole family is in the dining room and the embarrassed father telling the bad news while the wife screams and cries.
After the meeting with Mr. Collins he reads for the kids a sermon book, "who the hell reads sermons to kids (weird guy)", Lydia then becomes so bored about the reading that she starts to gossip and Mr. Collins decides to leave to play backgammon with Mr. Bennet. The day after they all go to a neighboring town called Meryton, the day after Mr. Bennet told Mr. Collins that her daughter Jane was in a "relationship" show he decided to go for Elizabeth. In the town Lydia encounters his officer friends, Mr. Darcy with a guy named Wickham, while they greet each other Darcy and Bingley happen to go by them. Elizabeth then notices that there a weird feeling between Darcy and Wickham, they later pay a visit to Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Bennet's sister, she invites the family and Mr. Collins for dinner the next night and the girls also invite Wickham. Once again home Mr. Collins tells Mr. Bennet that his daughters are a real charm.

In the dinner party the reader observes how Wickham is a more social person making himself the center of attention, while Mr. Collins is just a part of the party, not participating at all. As the party develops the cards change against MR. Collins which was trying to get Elizabeth's heart. Unfortunately Wickham is so likable that Elizabeth starts falling for him. I think Wickham is a mirror to Mr. Collins he is a character that ignites the party and wherever he goes he is not just a shadow, in the other hand Mr. Collins is an awkward guy that does not talk much.

When the party ends Elizabeth confesses Jane that she is starting to like Wickham, but Jane tells her that Darcy is more of a "man". As I read this part of the story I laughed at how similar the girl's story and society is to ours. How feelings get mixed and love takes over the ambient, I also like how there is a great deal of gossip between the families and friends.

When they get home Elizabeth states that she can only think in Wickham and is disgraced by the fact that at the ball that Bingley will have she has to reserve to dances for Mr. Collins.

The Family Tree

CLICK TO EXPAND!

A Thousand Words

Exertion: (noun) a great effort, exercise, or vigorous action.

Impertinence: (noun) presumption or insolence.

Boast: (verb) speak with exaggeration and self pride about one self.

Countenance: (noun) expressions, especially done with the face.

Deceitful: (adj) deceiving, untrustworthy.

Odious: (adj) causing hatred.

Yield: (verb) give up to superior power.

Despising: (verb) to regard with contempt, distaste, and disgust.

Bewitched: (verb) to fascinate.

Rejoicing: (noun) the feeling or the expression of joy.

Wealth looks for a wife

As soon as you read the opening words of the novel you are immediately transported into a new era or “old era”. Pride and Prejudice was first published 198 years ago and you can sure feel the change in the text.

The novel starts talking about a wealthy man that arrives to Longbourne village were the Bennet family is currently looking for a spouse for any of its 5 daughters. It is important to remember that at the time it was common for the parents to choose the daughters husband, preferably from a higher social status to elevate the families social class.

After Mrs. Bennet asks her husband to get a “date” with Mr. Bingley for her sisters Mr. Bennet manages to make an appointment for Bingley to greet the family.

A couple of days later Bingley heads over to the Bennet house for dinner but doesn’t get a chance to meet the sisters due to the fact that he has to go back to London. After a number of days he gets back with his sisters, brother in law, and his friend Darcy. They all attend a ball which is in my perspective a pretty great deal for the XIX culture. A ball is a place, reunion or party where the main event is a contemporary dance. In this ball Jane the oldest sister gets to dance twice with Bingley while Darcy refuses to dance with Elizabeth stating that he needs someone from a higher social status and not some random girl. After the ball the sisters talk about the evening and Elizabeth tells Jane she is unaware of her beauty. I think Jane is an innocent girl, not like the rest of her sisters.

A new character is introduced to the novel and that is Charlotte, Elizabeth’s “bff” they talk about Jane being too concealing with Bingley which is good to a certain point, they have a discussion about it. Then we know that Darcy is falling for Elizabeth which is very ironic because we understand from the beginning of the novel that Darcy doesn’t like people that don’t match his social status.

In the next chapters Jane in invited to Bingley´s place as a plan elaborated by his father he sends her in hoarse knowing it will rain so she could spend the night at Bingley´s. Unfortunately she get sick and can’t go to Bingley´s house. Elizabeth in the other hand visits Bingley, Darcy, and his sisters. The sisters gossip about the Bennet family being to poor to be good wife’s, immediately Elizabeth enters the room and the topic is changed to Darcy´s library. This passage demonstrates how superficial and hypocritical even in this times society was.

Music & Form

Chapter 1

1. Biography.

2. Barber=Drunk

3. Song.

4. Message Pimps.

5. Webb arrives, coverseition about him being lost.

Webb´s thoughts after his visit with Nora.

6. The Cricket, Flashback.

7. Leters, and short passages.

8. Webb becoming a police officer (detective).

TGG Final Words

After the death of Gatsby, Nick stops and thinks about his life and Gatsby’s. Ultimately saying "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." (180) We can infer from this quote that Nicks wants to convey the message that life is a struggle and now matter how hard we try the "current" will always be pushing the other way. The quote demonstrates how progress and the struggle to achieve your dreams is a non stopping fight, stating that a little break could lead you right into the past. Last but not least it demonstrates how every human is in a constant strive to let go off the past, such as Gatsby wanting to escape from his early live hood.

The PIMPS of Slaughter

"Monday nights at Lincoln Park was something to see, especially when the madamsand the pimps brought their stables of women to hear Bolden play. Each madam had different colour girls. Ann Jackson featured mulatto, Maud Wilson featured high briwn, so forth and so on. And them different stables was different colours. Just like a bouquet." (18)

In this passage we can deduce that Bolden plays in a brothel or not a very classy place. It is also clear that he wasn’t the most famous blues player in town or is just starting off his career due to the fact that he plays on "Monday nights at Lincoln Park" (18). Last but not least the bar/brothel is full with madams (pimps) with their assistants, each madam with a different class of girls making the environment kind of not in place as if there was something missing. Perhaps Bolden couldn’t find himself, so he played in front of a large varied group of people to feel acceptance which is what every human being strives for.

Young & Wild Bolden

"Webb twenty and Bolden seventeen when they worked in fun fairs alongh the coast. Being financially independent for the first time they spend all their money on girls, and sometimes on women. They take rooms, stock beer, and graduallypaste their characters onto each other. They spend a week alone building up the apartment in Pontchartrain. It is during this time that Webb and Bolden get to know each other. Afterwards, busy with women, their friendship is a public act of repartee, bouncing jokes off each other in female company." (35)

In this passage we can infer that Buddy Bolden was a heavy drinker and liked to party most of the time. It also demonstrates how even being a kid he worked for what he wanted; girls and booze. It is important to highlight the fact that Buddy is a hard working man that strives for what he wants, the apartment, independence, freedom, etc. A peculiar piece from the passage that caught my attention was when narrator states that he spent his "money on girls, and occasionally women" (35) meaning that he was still not a real man and was not prepared to be one. Buddy is also a guy that keeps his personality the same no matter who surrounds him. From the knowledge the passage transmits it is clear that Bolden is an adult trapped in the body of a teenager, wanting to be more of himself than what he really is prepared to receive.