Finals :(

My blog post this week is about how to relax and not stress before finals, which I know people are stressing. So I'm just going to start off to tell you to take a deep, slow breath. After researching the best ways to de-stress, here it is.
It tell you the top ten ways to de-stress and I think it will actually work. Instead trying to cram a semester's wroth of knowledge in one week, I think it would be better off to relax and think positive, even though cramming helps you learn a little. The mayflies in "Time Flies" had only a day to live and they enjoyed their day, why can't we enjoy life without the final stress. I know this post is really short but I'm trying to follow my advice and relax. :)


-Pavneet K.

The Misperception of the Shark

The shark is known to be a majestic creature that virtually glides through the oceans.  This fish is credited to be one of the greatest predators of the seas.  These rogue fish roam usually unaccompanied.  Sharks dominate most parts of the oceans and even appear to have emerged as a universal human fear.  However, humans bestowed this title of the exceptional scoundrel of the deep.  Sharks are truly beautiful independent creatures that enjoy their solitude and isolation from humans.

            One reason for this characteristic misperception is the history associated with the word shark.  It was understood to be a “dishonest person who preys on others” in the early sixteen hundreds.  The word was associated with deceivers and villains.  Currently people refer to them as con artists.  The term “shark” applies to bandits, frauds, and cheats.  Then in the seventeen hundreds it evolved into “voracious persons”, further decreasing the reputation of the magnificent creature that actually possesses the name.

Alicia M.

Frankenstein

"When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it . . . I prepared myself for a multitude of reverses; my operations might be incessantly baffled, and at last my work be imperfect: yet when I considered the improvement which every day takes place in science and mechanics, I was encouraged to hope my present attempts would at least lay the foundations of future success."

 With the amount of innovation in technology today, we must constantly reflect on the power we hold and how we choose to use that power. Although it may not seem like it, the world has advanced quite rapidly in the past century and will continue to do so. Computers, cell phones, televisions, video game consoles, and more have dramatically changed forms in a matter of years. Scientists and engineers have developed robots to optimize production and simplify common jobs and have already started to explore the possibilities of android robots, or human-like robots. Although engineering a mechanical robot and bringing a creature to life are different, they raise questions about human limits and boundaries.

The quote above can be applied to modern science. Current research and development in math and science "lay foundations [for the] future" of our world. What struck me the most about this quote was Victor's hesitation. His hesitation is not surprising, however it does speak a lot about how many of us respond in positions of authority. The ability to bring life into an inanimate creature is definitely a powerful ability to hold. As leaders, researches, engineers, and people, we must be careful and responsible with the power we withhold. Although this is debatable, we must take into consideration what is collectively better for everyone. Would this technology do more harm than good? Does this item improve society? Technology is a wonderful thing and it has without a doubt benefited society in numerous ways, but as always we must consider the consequences of the decisions we make.

-Matt A.

Frankenstein

“I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”

Frankenstein is a dark and tragic novel and this quote is the start of Victor Frankenstein’s tragedy.  He was so consumed with creating life that he neglected everything else and just focused on that. It’s like us being consumed with facebook or texting that we don’t pay attention to anything else. Though he wasted many years trying to create life that he was blinded by his newly gained knowledge. Once the monster was animated, Frankenstein’s eyes finally opened and he saw the creature he created for what it was. Even though it had life, it was still a bunch of disproportional body parts that wasn’t even close to looking or being like a human. I think Frankenstein having the option to create was what destroyed him. So far this novel is really interesting and I can’t wait to find out what the monster is thinking.  I wonder how much knowledge the monster and what he would be capable of besides terrorizing Frankenstein.

-Pavneet K. 

SHPAM's Literary Theatre

Welcome to Literary Theatre with SHPAM. Today’s lesson will be Figurative Language: Why the Written Word Speaks to Every Level. In other words, it says whatever the heck you want it to. Who knew Six Degrees of Separation was also for analyzing writing?

Think about it: “You have 20 minutes, class. I want a full response, several paragraphs, on images or metaphors in this piece of work and what they mean.” You’ve heard it before. And maybe once, twice if you’re stretching, you actually had an idea that you believed in while you were writing the paper. Odds are, you’re like me, making it up as you go along. I keep a little checklist of likely suspects. Sooo… Animals? Colors? Names? I can always find something to say about one of them. I don’t know about you, but when the teacher gives us one of these, I pray the author mentioned water or snakes.

OK, that didn’t work. It’s some random poem on why kitchens are cool. Dang. Time for a game of “Six Degrees”! Kitchen…. Kitchens have food…. Hey, wasn’t food a symbol of community? In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, way back in sophomore year. Yes! One paragraph down. Next you move into what happens in a kitchen. You already talked about food, so it’s onto what happens next. Washing dishes happens in the kitchen, right? There you go! Water! Your favorite topic when “responding” to literature. You’ve made it back to your safety zone. The work is obviously about rebirth. Come to think about it, every work you’ve ever analyzed somehow connects to water and rebirth. Must be a popular topic.

You’ve got the deeper levels down, or at least your English grade says you do. And the surface level seems crystal clear, but is there more? Here at SHPAM’s Literary Theatre, we support the third level of Literature: Confounding Your Classmates. Try it sometime. Pick the randomest line you can find, and think of a really strange topic. Then see if you can convince a classmate next to you to believe that the line clearly supports that topic. If your English teacher catches you, tell her that you’re trying to help them think deeply about the poem by analyzing to the Third Level of Literature. Just don’t blame us if she hasn’t heard of it.

That’s it for Literary Theatre with SHPAM. Tune in next time to hear SHPAM say:

“Did you know that Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Bells” argues that students should have naptime in class?”

-Shannon D.

"One can only save oneself — and whatever else happens, one can still always do that. But it takes a willingness to be unpopular."

Solitude is still around

            Though it may not be as extreme as Thoreau’s or Emerson’s view of solitude, solitude is still around.  How many times do you beak plans so you can spend a little time at home by yourself?  Sometimes we need that alone time.  For example, sometimes it’s nice to spend a Friday night alone to slow down time and recognize what is really important.  Without a little time alone humans tend to get cranky and unpleasant to be around.  This time is to save ourselves from the realities of the world every once in a while.  Like William Deresiewicz said in his article, “One can only save oneself- and whatever else happens, one can still always do that.”  As much as we hate to be alone sometimes we demand it to just let life cool down and make time stop.  We use the time to release emotions bottled up and find away to relieve some of the pressures we are under.  Solitude never left us.


Alicia M.  

Literature

     Our class's ongoing study of allusion, archetype, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and the different literary periods has reinforced my belief in the emotional power of literature. Specifically, our latest in-class project, in which we compare and contrast Victorian society to modern day society through our Alice squares, further supports my belief. Despite decades and centuries of separation, contemporary readers possess the ability to relate to the emotions and lifestyles of people in past centuries. Literature may be categorized into overlapping time periods, however, its effect on readers is just as powerful today than it was then.
     What kind of power does literature have? In short, it has the ability to connect to an individual's personal morals, values, thoughts, experiences, and knowledge. From my personal experience, I always finish a book with a different emotion than I had when I started reading. I found myself consistently confused as I read Alice because of Wonderland's strangeness. Contrary to what one might think, my confusion added to my understanding of Alice's experience in Wonderland, allowing me to experience what she does. When I reflect on my own life, I can relate to the fear and confusion that Alice experienced on her adventures through Wonderland. My first day of high school may not have been as extravagant and bizarre as Alice's discovery of Wonderland, but I can connect with Alice's curiosity, astonishment, and cautiousness from my experience walking through the school's unexplored hallways. The strength of my emotional response varies from novel to novel, but I always end with a different emotional response: anger, satisfaction, confusion, content, inspiration.
      Although I've discussed literature broadly, literature can be interpreted in many ways and impact people differently. Looking back at all the novels I've read, I realize that each literary work I've encountered has attributed to my growth in maturity and development as a better person.
    
Which novels or other literary works have left you with strong, memorable emotional responses?

-Matt A.
    

Archetypes: Alice and Wonderland and "Big Fish"

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and “Big Fish” directed by Tim Burton both focus around the idea of if the story is fantasy or reality.  In Alice in Wonderland Alice falls into another dimension while in “Big Fish”, a son, Will is trying to find out the truth of all the tall tales his father, Edward would tell. Nevertheless, both are trying to grasp on what is reality. But what enhances the meaning of each are the many archetypes found in them. Alice and Edward both embark on a journey but while Alice sees darkness and confusion around her; Will’s relationship with his father is hanging by a thread.

            In Alice in Wonderland, Alice falls into Wonderland and in the beginning she sees darkness around her while she falls and once she lands in the room. The darkness represents the unknown and also all the chaos that gets caused. Because of the darkness, Alice had to make choices that made her question the reality of things. Later when she meets the queen, Alice is surrounded by red and only red.  Red represents all the ‘sacrifices’ that happened and also shows the queen’s personality. The queen is rather an angry person and she has a violent passion for beheading people. Both archetypes question a person’s sanity as well as how Alice perceived Wonderland to be.

In “Big Fish” Will has a hard time maintaining a relationship with his father, Edward. This father-son conflict complicates the understanding of Edward’s life stories. The fish that is referred to in the story represents Edward himself and throughout the movie the lake, which the fish swims in, shows the mystery in the movie as well as the lake itself. In Will’s story about how his father dies also shows that the lake “revives” Edward. The lake intertwined with the characters’ lives.

In both works there are common archetypes as well. First, the main characters, Alice and Will go on a journey, which sends them in search for reality. Along the way Alice and Will’s father befriend different people like the outcasts of society who help them along the way. Alice meets the Mad Hatter, Cheshire the Cat and the Caterpillar; while Edward gets help from the giant and witch. Even though Will never met the giant and witch, it seems like they also help Will accept the fantasies his dad would recite. Also both Alice and Edward get lost in a forest before they reach their destination. The forest shows the darkness and fear in the characters. Alice, Edward and Will all face obstacles, but at the end they accept the truth that they discover.

All the archetypes in these works make an impact on the meaning. To me the meaning was whether their adventures were fantasy or reality and upon comparing and contrasting the archetypes in both works, the meaning changed to what people perceive as reality. People perceive in different ways; so what to one person would be unrealistic to the other would be their reality. Without the archetypes both works would just be whether their journey really happened, but with all the archetypes like their journey, darkness, father-son conflict, forests, lakes and more; it allows more depth into the meaning.


-Pavneet K.

Big Fish: Spectre??

The question of spectre is one that has been bothering me ever since the town's appearance in the film Big Fish ...what exactly is Tim Burton trying to represent with this somewhat paradise-like town? Is the inclusion of the town some type of allusion to some sort of  heaven/afterlife. The scene where the Mayor of the town greets Edward Bloom with a clipboard in his hand on which lies Edward's name certainly suggests so. However, there are some concepts that seem to contradict this view of Spectre. For example, there is the appearance of the naked siren-like woman in the river, which seems to suggest that the town could be some sort of trap. Yet another view could possibly be that Spectre represents a utopian society that later becomes ruined by the introduction of the "outside world" by way of the financial market and shady business dealings.This could possibly be the directors way of commenting on the corrupting ability of money. There is also the the concept that everything is never as good as it seems. For example, though spectre seemed to be a paradise on the surface, the overall goodness of the place stifled the creative ability of the poet. Which seems to suggest that maybe too much of a good thing is bad. After leaving the town, the poet went on to do great things, which goes back to the whlole goldfish in a small bowl metaphor expressed earlier in the film.With all this being said I have come to the unsatisfying conclusion that there is no clear cut reference or allusion that spectre represents. The different metaphorical concepts signified by the wonderous town of Spectre are simply left to interpretation.


Hakim R.

The Essay of the Dying Student

Green Snake…. Green snake... Temptation, of course, Adam and Eve, apple, all of that… But is that it? Hmmm…. Green and gold; it had gold scales, right? Yeah… Ummm… what color are asps? Could it be Cleopatra? No, asps are black, aren’t they? Hmmm… tires are black… so are roads… Do I need gas? No, Dad got me some last week, so I wouldn’t ask him for some money to pay for it. Hey, it’s allowance week! Yes! Can I go shopping? Or should I save it for Christmas? Dad’s birthday is coming up soon; I should save up for that. What did he want? That I can afford… What about the— “Hey, Shannon, you almost done? I’m stuck on coming up on the thesis statement. Did she want us to focus on archetype impact, or allusion?” “Huh? Uh, both I think. Or whichever you thought was most important.” I shrugged. Ah! Focus! We’ve only got a half hour left. Ok, so we covered how the allusion was used. What was next? How using that allusion affects the meaning of the poem? Well, it certainly wouldn’t be the same if she were admiring an oyster… Well, that wouldn’t fit in the poem at all, since her “companions” wouldn’t be afraid or even uneasy of an oyster. Afraid for her maybe, but not afraid of the oyster. What could they be afraid of that wouldn’t mean anything in an allusion? Hmmmm…. A PLATYPUS! Hah! No one alludes to a platypus, and the “companions” would be afraid of that venom spike… If they knew it existed…. Whatever, it would not be the same poem without the snake right? The snake makes the poem. I should write a poem, “To the Platypus.” Then it would be an allusion to the allusion of the snake, and I could satire it! Does it count as an allusion if no one will get it but the author? Or is it then an inside joke? Brrrrrriiiinnnnnng! Crap. There goes my essay.

-Shannon D.

Author's Addendum: The title is an inside joke. Ten points if you get the allusion! ;)