Shapping Our Future

In the documentary Earth: The Operators Manual, our dependence of fossil fuels is explained as well as how much CO2 is actually caused by humans. In this documentary, the viewer comes face to face with the reality of our planets climate change and how there isn't really anyone to blame but ourselves. Our need for energy and the lifestyle we have, has created the climate change problems we are going through now.

Relating this information to The Road, maybe the reason there is an apocalypse in the story is because we completely ran out of fossil fuels and along with the change in temperature, a lot of natural disasters were created the changed human life. Everything that was being predicted in this documentary can't say what will happen later on but it does push for humans to find alternative ways of energy. By completely losing our dependence on fossil fuels or at least, depending them less, we can ensure a future to the next generations so that they don't have to live in a gray world where cannibals could eat them. A clear example of the benefit of renewable energy was the militaries initiative to become more eco friendly in all the fronts since they are actually the highest gasoline consumers in the United States and if they can take a step back and analyze the future to provide safety, we can take a step back to ensure a future.

Let It Out

Reading Shakespeare is like a rite of passage for all of us. At some point in our lives we read Shakespeare for school and personally I don't mind Shakespeare. It is one thing to read Shakespeare and another to read it in jail. It kind of sounds weird right? Picturing a bunch of really tough men reading Shakespeare's carefully crafted words to spend the time. In the radio show my teacher made us listen to this is the case. Taking place in Missouri Eastern Correctional Center is a production of Hamlets Act 5, and a man called Jack Hitt was there during the whole process. Now there is something they don't show in FOXs show Correctional huh?

What grabbed my attention the most about the fact that there were all these men putting on a production of Hamlet in Jail, was that they could relate to the characters in such a deep level. Particularly Big Hutch, who plays the scholar Horatio. Just listening to Big Hutches voice, you would never really consider him a scholar and now he is taking center stage as one. Big Hutch really impressed me with his analysis of Hamlet himself. He put Hamlet on the spot about all his decision struggles saying how he, a prisoner, would never think things so much. He gives the example of his daughter getting raped and how he would have to DO and not just sit there and ponder every single outcome of what would happen. Its interesting seeing this point of view from a person that somehow gets Hamlet really well by actually feeling what Hamlet feels. Its not like I have ever killed anyone (or have I ?) or have wanted to kill someone really really bad.. All the men in this radio show put their experiences to the test when they interpret their character. Its not just about playing someone else, its making that character become the embodiment of the emotions these men had when they killed someone. Acting is not just acting; it is an outlet even for really tough prisoners.

Not That Bad

The essay by Algernon Charles Swinburne seems to praise Hamlets way of thinking. He describes events such as Hamlet being sent to England, the sea fight, the discovery of the plot against him, as proof of Hamlets cool head and courage. His "ready witted courage and resource" are praised over physical attack, since this would be impulsive and not well thought. In a sense the author has a point in Hamlet keeping a cool mind, but what he wrote was that to everyone else Hamlet would always embody irresolution and hesitation. I really can't say I disagree with the author. While Hamlet does come off as an over thinker and not taking action, he is a reasonable character that does not follow his impulse. Even from the beginning of the novel, he was about to commit suicide but he thought it through to overcome it. It does get kind of annoying that Hamlet takes no action towards what occurs, and the author acknowledges this, but rather than look at it as an obstacle Hamlets over thinking teaches us to think more before we act.

“The Twin Antitypes”

In Ivan Turgenev´s essay, I find myself being transported to my first semester of Ap Spanish Literature. We read Don Quixote and it almost took the whole semester to read Cervantes masterpiece but looking back now, and reading this essay, it was a good thing we took so long trying to understand it. This essay describes how opposite the characters of Hamlet and Don Quixote are, even if there were certain aspects their authors shared in common. Turgenev gives a perfect description of Don Quixote as a poor man who sets of on a journey to help the helpless and doing everything for love. He especially emphasizes Don Quixote's faith since it's something Hamlet lacks. Don Quixote is living a fantasy and instead of fully thinking his actions through like Hamlet, he just carries them out not thinking about the consequences. Hamlet on the other hand, can barely breathe without fully analyzing each of his breaths. Turgenev describes Hamlet as "analysis and egoism, skepticism personified." And Don Quixote as "an enthusiast, a fanatic, the servant of an idea and the light of this idea shines about him." Demonstrating how somehow by comparing these two characters you can understand them a little bit better. For example, in the essay Turgenev explains Hamlets self flagellation as something he enjoys doing because he thinks of self awareness as a force. On the other hand we have Don Quixote wondering through Spain making a fool of himself and who is the man one is most attracted to? Hamlet because he puts up a good front and it is Don Quixote who gets made fun of even if behind every one of his actions, he leaves the same amount of thoughtfulness as Hamlet.

Look Beyond the Actor

In the different interpretations of Hamlets "To Be" scene, the viewer gets a different sense of Hamlets character. In the Kenneth Brannagh clip he doesn't seem to be crazy but just a man pondering the world in a normal way. There are really no signs that say he is unstable in any sort of way while in the David Tenant clip, it is clear the person is unstable. It is not just the actor's performance that leads to this conclusion but also the diagonal lines around him that in video studies, actually means mental instability. The Ethan Hawke interpretation makes any smart person laughs seeing how as he is delivering his lines, he is walking through the action section of a movie rental place. This adds some dark humor to the scene since all Hamlet does is think and not take action at all. It is not only the actors performance that shows the characters mentality but also what surrounds them, so in any case the character of Hamlet can be shown having a sane mind or a crazy one depending on what is surrounding him on a visual basis.

Make A Scene

You might remember Lady De Bourgh, the one I compared to Lady GaGa, well it turns out she is a little more GagGa than GaGa (and I don't mean in the good sense). This has to be the most random moment in the book. Picture this: A very old woman arrives in your house which is way out of her way to yell at you for supposedly dating her nephew. Somebody had a little free time on their hands and a lot of carriage miles to burn.

Lady Catherine got the reaction she was expecting from the Bennets. Hell, I would have probably acted as astonished and stupefied if Prince Harry had walked into my house. For Lady Catherine who loves to feel superior to others so she feels good about herself, it must have been a great confidence booster.

After leaving all the Bennets in awe she preceded to criticize the Bennets through small gestures like refusing drinks and the lighting of their sitting room. I know they felt the burn of her comments but none of them were as bad as those she said to Elizabeth. We thought Caroline Bingley had the worst attitude towards Lizzy but ding ding we have a winner. Lady Catherine got Elizabeth to show her the grounds, which she described as "a prettyish kind of little wilderness on one side of your lawn" (pg 264), as soon as they were outsides he pounced and began a full frontal attack that would make even Mrs. Bennet look like an amateur. Lady Catherine has heard rumors of how Darcy proposed to Elizabeth and this just won't do for her since he has been engaged to her own sick daughter since they were infants. Arranged marriages never work out because people come along that incite a true feeling of love in those who have been arranged to be married. I don't blame Darcy for wanting Elizabeth over a marriage that would be solely based on business rather than love. Elizabeth has feelings for Darcy but what she says to Lady Catherine about if he had feelings towards her and she refused them, how would that lead him into Lady Catherine's daughters arms? From that, one can infer that Lady Catherine only sees what she wants rather than actually taking into account that there is a whole world that could throw obstacles at her plans. Her closed mind can has only gotten her despised and fear over respect and love from even her own family. Even Mr. Collins only answers to her because of fear of losing what he has.

If I would have been in Elizabeth's shoes, I would have cried right then and there in front of Lady Catherine. Elizabeth handled it in great style. The comments given by Lady Catherine were nothing but negative and in that moment Elizabeth did not care that Lady Catherine is ranked above her, she just spoke her mind freely. The only arguments Lady Catherine has given against Elizabeth are her lower rank but it isn't until she involves Elizabeth's family that it seems that critizism will never die:

"I am no stranger to the particulars of your youngest sister's infamous elopement. I know it all; that the young man's marrying her was a patched-up business, at the expence of your father and uncles. And is such a girl to be my nephew's sister? Is her husband, is the son of his late father's steward, to be his brother? Heaven and earth!--of what are you thinking? Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?"

"You can now have nothing further to say," she resentfully answered. "You have insulted me in every possible method. I must beg to return to the house."

And she rose as she spoke. Lady Catherine rose also, and they turned back. Her ladyship was highly incensed.

"You have no regard, then, for the honour and credit of my nephew! Unfeeling, selfish girl! Do you not consider that a connection with you must disgrace him in the eyes of everybody?"

"Lady Catherine, I have nothing further to say. You know my sentiments."(pg 268)

It turns out that Elizabeth was also taught Kelso´s Choices when she was in primary. From the passage above, it is Elizabeth who has the class to walk away from the argument rather than keep bantering and giving Lady Catherine the pleasure. When mentioning the pollution of the shades of Pemberley, Lady Catherine is referring to Elizabeth's lower status that doesn't match up to the high class of what she expects. Yet, isn't class what a person does and not who a person is? I don't see Elizabeth taking off in pursuit of someone who she just wants to scream at. No. Class here is what Elizabeth Bennet is and when she doesn't succumb to what Lady Catherine expects she demonstrates how no governess or how a completely messed up family can´t take class away from you. The person who has class knows how to act when being attacked and int his case, Lady Catherine makes a scene and Elizabeth is the one to yell "Cut!".

Readsponding

Pride and Prejudice is over for me. I really enjoyed reading the book and in all sincerity, recommend it. I am not the only one closing the book with a feeling of satisfaction, most of my classmates have finished and we will soon be moving on.

In my classmate Nacks blog, he discusses the end of the novel and we share some views as well as we disagree in others. It's interepsting to read his response to the end of the novel from a guys perspective and how it differentiates from my own. Lets be honest here people, Pride and Prejudice is not the kind of book a guy would read over let's say some comic book they really enjoy. Nack describes the ending as being predictable and having a moral lesson to follow up on. Mostly these lessons are the idea of not judging too quickly or being too proud as we have seen through Elizabeth and Darcy´s relationship. Nack says in his blog post that "True love actually blossomed after all the events took place. Only after Dancy overcame his pride and Elizabeth her prejudice was the true love possible. In other words, the title of this book could as well have been 'Dancy and Elizabeth'." Elizabeth who was never really under the influence of the status quo ends up doing something unpredictable but goes into accepting the society she lives in through Darcy´s love. Darcy made an outcast of himself but in the end by embracing the lessons Elizabeth teaches him, discovers there is more to life than the status quo.

The foreshadowing in the novel makes the ending unpredictable. Throughout the novel we were given hints about the love Darcy felt for Elizabeth when he commented on her beautiful eyes. Then after the meeting in Rosings, Elizabeth began to have feelings for Darcy after seeing who he really was. The only challenges these two characters faced that could have kept them apart were the distance and the people around them. It was pretty obvious when Darcy went with Bingley to Longbourn that he was not only there for his friend but also for Elizabeth. After that, it was only a matter of time before the engagement was announced.

All in the entire book ended on a good note and what makes the book so enjoyable is watching the characters overcome the challenges the author throws at them. And really, who likes a sad ending?