Othello Scene 3

"Duke. I think this tale would win my daughters too./ Good Brabantio, take up this mangled matter at the best." (1. 3. 170-173)

I picked this quote because I liked how the Duke was responding to Othello's story. He was very sympathetic to him and even tried to let Brabantio down easily by saying basically, "make the best out of this situation." I was worried that he would dislike Othello for his color, too.

How is Desdemona so accepting when no one else is?

ASP 12

"I did not cry then or ever about Finny... I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case." (194)

This shows how much a part of Finny he became. He was so much of him that he could not cry, because it was like he himself died. You can't cry for yourself, because you're dead. Part of him was dead and gone.

How did Gene feel about Finny's death?

ASP 11

"'We can't do a damn thing about it,' he said ruefully."

I picked this quote because it was so out of character for Finny that I couldn't help but notice it. So, he finally lets himself admit that the war is real, and he shows his anger and frustration in that sentence. He lets himself show that he's powerless, which doesn't seem like a usual, normal thing for him. He's just giving up, and he doesn't seem like the kind of person to ever give up.

Did Finny know that Gene jounced the limb, because he told everyone Leper was back, as if he wanted to get the news, too. It was like he didn't know.

ASP 10

"He's a good boy underneath,"she must have thought, "a terrible temper, no self-control, but he's sorry, and he is a good boy underneath." Leper was closer to the truth. (146)

He's guessing what Leper's mother though of him and he compared it to what Leper had said ["Always were a savage underneath" (145)]. He's showing here that he's agreeing with Leper, even though he got mad at him. People don't like to be told their faults or shortfalls. Secretly, Gene agreed with Leper when he mocked him, but he didn't want to hear it and so he retaliated with violence. He wanted to forget what he did, and Leper's bringing it up made him remember. He's guilty and conflicted and contradictory with himself, as if he's split in half.

Was Leper just half asleep? Why was he having these visions? He hadn't seen any fighting yet, right?

ASP 8&9

"I could hardly believe it, but it was too plainly printed in the closed expression on his face to mistake... Phineas was shocked at the idea of my leaving. In some way, he needed me. He needed me, I was the least trustworthy person he had ever met... I had even told him... But there was no mistaking the shield of remoteness in his face and voice. He wanted me around. The war then passed... and dreams of enlistment... lost their meaning for me." (108)

This is an important turning point for Gene where he realizes that Phineas still trusts him like a best friend, even like a brother. It's so important that he finally sees that Finny has put the past behind him and forgiven him because it kind of lets him go back to the friendship he used to have, without the envy. When Gene understands that Finny still sees him as a best friend and still trusts him, even though Gene knows he's not trustworthy, he starts allowing himself, I believe, to forgive himself a little for what he did. I think Finny trusts Gene because he knows him so well. Like, they were so close, and Finny's the kind of person who wouldn't want that closeness to go away.

What is Finny thinking when he's friendly with Gene? It's not easy to forgive someone so nonchalantly for something like shattering your leg and crippling you for life.


"There isn't any Devon Winter Carnival and never has been."
"There is now. We'll have it in that park next to the Nagaumsett. The main attraction will be sports, naturally, featuring I expect a ski jump-"
"A ski jump! That park's flat as a pancake."
"-and some slalom races, and I think a little track. But we've got to have some snow statues, too, and a little music, and something to eat. Now, which committee do you want to head?"
I have him a wintry smile. "The snow statues committee." (129)

I find this to be the most important line in the book because I love Finny random enthusiasm here! He's trying to incorporate himself into the school that he loves, because he can't be a part of it like he used to. And I also love how Gene's just going along with it all, at first thinking Finny's crazy, but ends up kinda getting into it. Right here is where Finny's character really shines through, like a ray of sun in the gray weather of the winter.

Why did the teachers let them get away with this?

A Separate Peace 11•24

"But I could feel my throat closing in them; I could never say them, never." (90)

This is important because it shows that Gene could admit to himself and to Finny what he did, but he's still not fully come to terms with it yet. He can't tell these (basically) strangers that he hurt his friend because I don't think he can really admit to it yet. I think he still kind of pushes the possibility that it was his fault away, even though he admitted it, and admits it several times. It's almost like he's- not only ashamed- but also afraid of the incident.

Why were the people accusing him of hurting Phineas all of a sudden?

"Until the back of my hand cracked against Quackenbush's face I had never pictured myself in the role of Finny's defender... But I didn't feel exactly as though I had done it for Phineas. It felt as though I had done it for myself."(79-80)

I think that he's slowly becoming more and more guilty that he hurt Finny, and more and more willing to put it behind him. Here, I can see him mad that Quackenbush was indirectly making fun of Finny by making fun of physically disabled people. If he's mad at this boy who didn't even say one word about Phineas, then he's obviously very sensitive about the subject. Gene wants to protect Finny because it was his own fault that Finny got hurt. It's almost like he never wants to see Finny be hurt again, even if it's just by some stranger that never did anything specifically to him.

What does Gene think of Phineas now?

A Separate Peace 11•20

"You see! Kill me! Now you know what it is! I did it because I felt like that! Now you know yourself!" (70)

Gene has told Finny that he deliberately jounced the limb to make him fall off, but Finny refuses to believe him. Gene gets mad and guilty and begins to yell at him. He kind of snaps, but this time it's out of guilt and not jealousy and anger. He really likes Finny, and he feels so upset that it was his fault he was hurt. It's important because you see that Gene's not completely ruled by jealousy or else he'd never be so regretful.

Does Finny really not believe him or is he in denial?

A Separate Peace 11•18

"Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bend and I jounced the limb. Finny... tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening... thud. It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness, I... jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten" (59-60)

This is where Gene really snaps, at least for the first time. He intentionally tries to hurt Finny by causing him to fall out of the tree. Not only does he accomplish that, he then jumps into the river, happier than before. I don't think Phineas had done anything to deserve that, because he was only being himself! Gene is this extreme person who can't handle himself, and I feel bad for him.

Why didn't anyone notice how strange it was that he then jumped into the river without acting concerned?

A Separate Peace 11•17

Chapter 2:

"He had gotten away with everything. I felt a sudden stab of disappointment. That was because I just wanted to see some more excitement; that must have been it." (28)

This quote is important because it's showing Gene's insecurity and jealousy toward his best friend. He wanted to see Phineas get in trouble because he was tired of seeing him get away with the worst offenses as it they were minor mistakes. It kind of shows that he's so envious of his friend that it borderlines hatred. But Gene is still his friend. I believe he would have really liked Phineas was he not so good in everything and wasn't everything Gene wanted to be.

Is he trying to convince himself, or does has he accepted that he was really jealous?

Chapter 3:

"I should have told him then that he was my best friend also and rounded off what he had said. I started to; I nearly did. But something held me back. Perhaps I was stopped by that level of feeling, deeper than thought, which contains the truth." (48)

This is a lot like the quote I chose for chapter two. It shows that he really likes Finny, but he can't bring himself to not be jealous of him. Who wouldn't be? He's the kind of person who has everything and you can't help but belittle yourself when you're around them. But Gene is doing his best to be his friend and actually accept him even though he's god-like.

By "that level of feeling... which contains the truth" supposed to mean hatred or jealousy, or was it something completely different?

A Separate Peace

"With the sensation I was throwing my life away, I jumped into space." (17)

I picked this quote because I liked how it was worded a lot. I mean, it seems like exactly how I would feel if I was jumping from a tree into water. Actually, I've done a few stupid stunts, and that was pretty much my exact process of thought. It reminds me of myself, but that's not why it's important. I think it's really important to Gene's character. It shows that he's being held back by his logical side when Phineas pushes him to do something stupid, but his pride seems to overtake his logical side and he does it anyway. At least, that's what I get from this sentence.

Why doesn't the writer show his name in this part of the book, but it's on the back?



Phineas:
I like his character a lot. He seems like the determined kind of person that you want to learn from. He seems superhuman, like nothing could ever hurt him physically or emotionally. With the way he dares to stand out and live instead of just exist, it's almost like nothing could ever stop him.

Adjectives: determined, dreamer, athletic, on-the-go, unpredictable


"Narrator":
I relate to him very well. He notices small things like I do. The houses, the steps... I notice small details about things, too, when I'm alone and have time to think by myself with no distractions. He seems like he wants to soak everything around him up, like he wants to hold on to it all. When he had the flashback to "Finny", he seemed to be very different. I think being around Phineas made Gene outgoing. Being alone changes that drastically.

Adjectives: perceptive, logical, quiet, living in the past, irresolute

Sexism in Antigone 10.29.08

Sexism in Antigone

Sexism is a problem that plays a major role in the world even today. The female population of the world is hit the hardest with this problem, often being scammed and patronized by a handful of egotistic and greedy males. Some places in the world are worse than others, however no one place is completely free from the discrimination that plagues our society. Long ago in the time of Sophocles, sexism toward women was so common that it was accepted as the norm, even by women. Women were supposed to be petite, refined, and quiet. Anything outside of that description was considered to be an atrocity, and so women did their best to stick to the role assigned to them by the male-dominated society. Antigone, however, did the opposite, allowing Sophocles to portray his view of how women should be, which is equal to men in all ways.

Sophocles was an advanced man for his time. He portrayed, through Antigone, that women had the power to rise out of their submissive positions and become more, as if they were buds with the power to blossom into strong flowers instead of staying dormant. He wanted to show women not to hold back and recoil to the words of men. He believed that women were not powerless, and so he showed the power that one single woman possessed. In one short part of a play, Sophocles showered his audience in subtle revolutionary ideas. The death of Antigone was important to support this idea.

Although Antigone killed herself, she died with pride because she buried her brother, even after an edict from the king was given saying to let the bodies rot. “And if this hurries me to death before my time,/why, such a death is a gain. Yes, surly gain” (210) This death is very unlike her incestuous mother Jocasta or to-be mother-in-law Eurydice, who both killed themselves impulsively out of overwhelming emotions and died honor less. However, Antigone, a young, unmarried virgin, died with more honor than most men, giving the audience a long-lasting curiosity about whether Antigone’s way was the right way for women.

Women in Greece, and most other places at that time, were seen and not heard, did not do laborious work, and rarely, if ever, left the house alone. They were accompanied by a man, either their father or husband, wherever they went. They were, for the most part, fine with this because they didn’t know any other way. As seen in Ismene’s character, women were content with being submissive and obedient because, as in her very own words, “for might unfortunately is right/ and makes us bow to things like this and worse” (193) This proves that, in the culture, there were a few women at least that were content with not stirring trouble and simply rolling with the punches. Ismene symbolizes those women and their thoughts, allowing the female portion of the audience to relate to the views of one of the sisters, since most women could not relate to Antigone, although they could admire her for her bravery.

Bravery was not something most women had back then. They got married, worked in their house, went to funerals and weddings, and had children. This, unfortunately, was their ultimate roll. Antigone, however, was never married, buried her brother against Creon’s orders, and was never a mother, which she states sadly on her way to her place of death, a tomb in the mountains. “So taken, I am led away:/ a virgin still, no nuptial song, no marriage-bed,/ no children to my name” (232) Here, she talks about the roles a woman was thought to play, and how she never got to take part in any of them, making her a complete outcast to the audience. However, some audience members sympathized with their fallen hero, just as some people in the play did.

Haemon stood up for Antigone, despite his father’s beliefs that a woman could never rule a man, which could be seen through the quote, “Insolent pup! A woman’s lackey!” (224). Unlike Creon’s opinions, Haemon’s views are in favor of women. His contrasting ideas are evident in the line following Creon’s, “Lackey to nothing of which I am ashamed.” (224). Haemon’s character, when he stood up for Antigone, is possibly Sophocles’ thoughts on women. Haemon dies, however his death was very important to Creon realizing the truth about sexism and his faults.

Had Haemon not died, Creon would have remained a sexist person, because the death of Antigone would not have affected him, unless the gods became angry at him for allowing her to die, as Tiresias had predicted. Even the Leader said, “Must, King, and quickly too./ The gods, provoked, never wait to mow men down.” If Haemon had sided with his father and believed that women were below men, he would not have gone to the tomb, he would not have fought Creon, and he would not have died. If he had not died, Eurydice would not have killed herself, and Creon would not have seen the errors he made. He would not have ended his kingship by saying, “I killed her, I/ Can own no alibi:/ The guilt is wholly mine./ Take me quickly, servants,/ Take me quickly hence./ Let this nothing be forgotten.” If Haemon had not been so in love with Antigone, he would have sided with his father, who would have remained sexist and more than likely would go on to be a corrupted king.

Sexism was a vital flaw in Creon’s character. If he didn’t have it, he would never have ordered Antigone to such a strange death. He might have killed her by stoning, but that wouldn’t have killed Haemon. Because Creon had such sexism, his kingship came to an end. This, the end of his ruling, was Hades’ revenge for not burying the opposing soldiers when he should have. This showed the audience that sexism can lead to their downfall, as it led to Creon’s. Sophocles was attempting to show people that it was wrong to place women in the strict position they were in.

Homework 10.23

1. "Oh Prophet, your prophecy's true come!"

2. This is basically how people reacted when that whole "Oedipus thing" happened. It's almost ridiculous. It was a prophecy, and they should have known the moment it was said that it would come true. It's not like this was totally new to them. It's not like it was ignorance that kept them from understanding or believing. It was already known that it was impossible to run from a prophecy. It's almost frustrating that Creon acted in such a way. I really don't understand what could possibly have been going through his troubled mind when he ignored the prophecies that he got.

3. Why do the gods even bother sending prophecies anymore?

Homework 10.19

1. "But a wise man is flexible, has much to learn without loss of dignity. See the trees in floodtime, how they bend along the torrent's course, and how their twigs and branches do not snap, but stubborn trees are torn up roots and all."


2. The quote is by Haemon, however it sounds like something Creon would have said in the first book. He tries to make his father be open minded, as Creon himself would have done before he was king. Haemon has been uncorrupted by power, and the way he tries to tell Creon to change his ways shows that Creon has been corrupted and is not compassionate like he used to be.

3. I want to know why power did this to Creon. In the first book he says that he had all the power without the worry. As Oediipus' friend, Creon had power. As king, Creon had power. What changed?