Slaughterhouse

"'I suppose they'll all want dignity,' I sad" (212). This last chapter is when the narrator puts himself back into the story. It seems as though he too was in the war. Also, he seems to know Billy pretty well too. I don't know why exactly he only shows up in this last chapter and the first. I don't think that he is Billy, however. However, based on what he said : "If you're ever in Wyoming, just ask for coyote bob" makes me think that they could very possibly be the same person. Or maybe he was just with Billy and knows this Bob person too. In any case, overall, a very good book.

Slaughterhouse

"He was a gun nut. He left me his guns. They rust" (210). The author's style is very blunt. Sentences are short and choppy. This illustrates how Billy thinks. He can't have fully coherent thoughts anymore since the plane crash. Also when he says "they rust" I think that it goes to show what war can do to a person. He wants nothing to do with the guns or violence anymore. So he no longer goes near them. He seems to also be the opposite of his father. However, both men seem to have their thoughts and opinions and stick to them.

Slaughterhouse

"He's not a human being anymore. Doctors are for human beings." (190). I think that Billy hasn't really been alive for a while now. He is characterized as being so imaginative, that he can be considered crazy. He no longer knows what is true and what is not. He's been this way since the war. It was only worse after the plane crash. But what really defines a human being? Is it one that is alive and understanding? Or through his craziness, can he really still be a human?

slaughterhouse

"An hour later she was dead. So it goes." (183). He has just told the story of how his wife died. But he still is completely unemotional about it. The entire marriage was sort of fake to him. He proposed because he knew it was right. He didn't really love her. And now when she's dead he doesn't care either. The only person it seems he has ever cared for would be Montana. He actually loved her. But what happened to her isn't ever fully disclosed. He says she's still on the planet. But most people think she was killed.

Slaughterhouse

"Don't worry, it will never be bombed" (147). This is from a fake letter from Derby that he wrote in his head. I think that this is the writer's way of foreshadowing what will happen, but to the characters. The readers already know what will happen. But the characters who are going there are still clueless. In this letter, he is confident that this city will be kept safe. However, in just a few days he will be dead and the city will be gone.

slaughterhouse

"Weary was filled with a tragic wrath" (50). Weary is the bad sort of crazy. Part of me seems to want to sympathize with him, however. I honestly begin to have a sort of pity for him because he's never had a real friend. But then, he doesn't have friends because he is so mean. He has all of the makings to be a serial killer-killing animals, studying torture methods, beating people, ect. He is so sad because he is always being left behind and forgotten. It's like the bully circle-people bully because they've been ullied and then those people go and hurt more people. Weary is just a bully towards all.

Slaughterhouse

"There was a lot that Billy said was gibberish to the Tralfamadorians, too" (114). The only thing that I have yet to understand is if he actually has gone crazy. Part of me really thinks that Billy has. However, it's not the PSTD sort of crazy, but the in a weird way cool crazy. The reasons that I think he's lost it are because he says he's died of being shot in the head by a laser gun, which is not invented even in our time yet. But I really don't think that he's going to harm himself or others due to his being crazy. He seems to just better understand what he can do to help humanity as a whole. These aliens have ideals that are so radical to even us, but Billy understands and accepts them

Slaughterhouse

"only earth is there any talk of free will" (86). I feel as though the little aliens represent the opposite of America. It's almost as though they are the foil characters to all of the American soldiers. These soldiers are representative of free will, democracy, and all these other ideals. Whereas the aliens are more into moments, they're just much more philosophical than the Americans are portrayed as. In the end, Billy almost becomes one because he too can see his past and future. He realizes that these moments are only that, and that he cannot change them. They're just the complete opposite from all the other characters in the book.

Slaughterhouse

"only earth is there any talk of free will" (86). I feel as though the little aliens represent the opposite of America. It's almost as though they are the foil characters to all of the American soldiers. These soldiers are representative of free will, democracy, and all these other ideals. Whereas the aliens are more into moments, they're just much more philosophical than the Americans are portrayed as. In the end, Billy almost becomes one because he too can see his past and future. He realizes that these moments are only that, and that he cannot change them. They're just the complete opposite from all the other characters in the book.

slaughterhouse

"I know, I know, I know" (10). This line is the saddest part of the book thus far. I'm not quite sure why I think this is so sad, but to me it is. It reminds me of how many times we have heard about things, but never experienced them. For Billy, he was actually there. He saw everything happen, so he doesn't need to hear stories that others have heard. There's just such a difference between hearing about what happened, and actually being there.

"Mr. Kirwin had shown me extreme kindness" (131). I think that Mr. Kirwin is a foil character to both Victor and the Creature. Victor and the creature both seem to say that they care about humanity. However, they don't seem to act on it much. Victor made the creature to help human nature. The creature was nice and caring at first, but then began to kill. Kirwin seems genuinely nice. He seems to actually want to help Victor.

"I will be with you on your wedding night" (123). This is an example of more foreshadowing. Victor thinks that what will happen is that he will be killed on his wedding night. What is most odd about this is that he's not sad. He's not even scared of death. However, he begins to cry only when he thinks of the pain he'll be putting Elizabeth through. I find this odd because he's beginning to show more care for others, or at least more than what he was showing earlier this novel. I think that he's wrong that the monster will kill him. I think that he's going to kill Elizabeth

"A ghastly grin wrinkled his lips..." (121). I feel like the creature brought this upon himself. The way that the tone and descriptive words make it seem as though the creature was being evil. He may have, in fact, just really been smiling because he was happy again. However, I think that he was glad that he was able to threaten someone into doing something. I don't really blame Victor for reacting this way. I would have probably done the same thing. However, I can also understand why the creature is so mad now and plans revenge.

"I quited the college, and in the great tumult escaped unperceived to my hovel" (94). The family's reaction to the creature is one to be expected. Based on how everyone else perceived him, and refused to listen to him, I'm not surprised. This is one example of foreshadowing in the book. I think that also since he killed William, he will do more killing later on in the book. Even though it was expected, I still felt bad for him. It was his last chance to really be accepted, but he was still rejected. However, based on how it began with the old man, if people had not seen him and only heard him, I feel like they would better accept him.

"My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature..." (81). I find it very interesting that the creature and Victor share this common trait. It makes me wonder what else it is that they share. The creature seems to really care for all of humanity (to being with). Which is what Victor hoped to do with this reanimation process as well. He wanted to bring hope to people that he could bring back their loved ones. But now he regrets it very much. They both are very stubborn and strong willed as well. I wonder how they got to be so much alike.

"I am thy Adam..." I am Extremely confused with as to how the creature in any way knows about the Bible. I'm assuming that Shelleby put it in the novel because people of that time were very religious. However, where he came to find this knowledge puzzles me. Did he find out from the people in the cottage? Or did he steal it like he stole food? If he's able to quote the bible, then what other major works has he read? Speaking of religion, in class Lauren brought up the idea of a soul. Based on what I've read about him, I can only assume that he does in fact have one. His care for others makes me think he does. I just can't stand the idea of anyone or anything not having one, so I guess that's where my theory comes from as well.

"What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people" (77). This line from the monster struck me because I found it interesting that he understood beauty and eloquence. He obviously cares for these people and feels bad for them. I think that he just really wants them to be happy, and in doing so, he will be happy too. The writing style used gives the monster better language than what I would have expected. I think that the monster will really learn much more, and in doing so, become happier as well. In my earlier blog, I talked about feeling lonely, which the monster is at this point. But I think that he will be better soon after he meets people that accept him. He needs friends right now, and I think he'll get some soon.

"I rushed out of the room..."(35). His reaction to the monster is a bit interesting. He spent forever working on this thing, but now wants nothing to do with it. I think that he was surprised himself that it actually worked. I also think that he was worried about what exactly he was going to do. It seemed to me that he didn't fully think through this whole experiment process. The monster's reaction was what I had expected. It was one of a child, which could pretty much have been expected.

"my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed in the prospect of your union" (24). The whole family situation is very interesting I felt. When I was analyzing the characters, I thought it was interesting how the mother, though caring, also was fine with her two children being married. She seems to love helping people who need it, but still does not care about herself enough, and instead she ends up dying because of her helping the sick. Victor's sister seems to follow the mother's footstep very well. She too loves to help others, but she seems sort of out of touch with reality. That's just what I got from her character at least. His father seems to be the quintessential family man, and loves his family. The entire family just really interests me.

"My affection for my guest increases every day" (11). One of the main themes in this novel is of loneliness. Walton is very lonely on the boat by himself, even his shipmates he cannot seem to find companionship with. However, when Victor arrives, he is then with a friend. Victor too wants a friend because he was lonely enough to create the monster. Walton found himself lonely, however, because he is away from his family and by his lonesome in the arctic. The monster, too, at first is lonely because Victor will not have anything to do with him. However, they all in the end seem to find some sort of companion.

As the car speeds off....1628. I feel like Willy is sort of the husband in The Glass Menagera. This play could almost be that plays precursor. Both of the husbands just up and left for some reason or another. Presumably, it could be that they both understood that their family was better off without them. I think that what Willy did was completely understandable, and I would be willing to defend his decision. As sad as it was, he knew that he wanted his family to have the best life possible. Unfortunately, he was not around to see that happen.

"We're free...we're free..." (1630). This line is the very last in the play from his wife, Linda. I think that she is the most dynamic of all of the characters. She obviously loves her husband, but would also defend her children when he is berating them. I think that she also realizes what a burden her mentally in stable husband is and his job is as well, so I think that when she says this line she is talking about many things. Being free of her husband and his job, and financial burdens especially. The one thing I don't completely understand, however, is whether or not she knows about The Woman.

"You and Hap and I, and I'll show you all the toawns" (1559). This line comes from one of the memories. Memory is one of the big themes in the play. However, it is mainly Willy's memory. This means that it is probably skewed, especially due to his dementia. It connects well with The Glass Menagera because Tom shares his memories too. It also connects because Tom's memories were different than what Laura's would have been due to the viewpoint.

"Please-Please!" (1250). Laura seems to be the sort of mediator between Tom and Amanda. When the reader first meets her, she seems very shy and not like she'll be a big part of the play. Since she has an ailment, she thinks that everyone looks at her in a different light, and a negative light in that. However, as it turns out, she isn't all too shy. She worries often, but she does actually have a personality, and she does have a backbone, at least towards her brother and mom. She knows that they do actually love each other, but she also has to sometimes remind them of that.

"Light clothes an' light food are what warm weather calls fo'. You know our blood gets so thick during th' winter" (1269). From what the reader is told of Amanda, she is from the south. She also always seem to remenice in those times. She recalls often how she had many gentleman callers in one day. So when Jim comes over for dinner, her dialect changes and she begins to have a southern accent again. This can show the reader that she wants to be back in the time when she was young, unmarried, and just meeting new men constantly. She obviously misses those times, and this shows that she hasn't changed much since when she was Laura's age.

"This play is a memory" (1236). One of the central themes of this play is memory. The way Tom chooses to remember it. He says that his mom is crazy and his sister is very shy. But if it were told from another view point, what would they say about him? From how he even portrays himself, he seems rude and selfish and uncaring. This makes me think that he is trying to be an unbiased narrator, or maybe just that he knows how he acts himself. There only seem to be very small memories within the play itself, however.

"[A dance." (pg. 78). So unlike Othello, this play ends in a dance. This ending reminds me of the ending to Monty Python and the Holy Grail (see video). It's like he just gave up towards the end. Where as Shakespeare thought "Eh, they're all married and heck, lets put in a dance" to end his play, the writters of Monty Python though "Eh, let's have them all get arrested" to end their movie. And I can't really blame either of them, because honestly, it's not like I could write anything even close to what Shakespeare did. So in any case, I guess even though it seems like he gave up, it's not too horrible of an ending to a play.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players" (pg 32). This line comes from Jaques. He is the most dynamic character in the entire play. Often times, he often seems to be the protagonist as well. He is called "melancholy" more often then not, but at other times can mock others, and in this instance given, he can be philosophical. He shows how dynamic he is through the entire play. He's never on any one's side per say, but never is against anyone either. He shows that he is a difficult character to understand through the entire play.

"Unless you could teach me how to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure" pg. 5. This line is about how Rosalind is sad that her father has been banished. Her cousin, Celia, is comforting her, and her father was the one who banished Rosalind's father. This is an example of one of the central themes in the play. That theme being how love can heal another. Since Rosalind is so sad, Celia is doing everything that she can to make her feel a bit better. This example continues throughout the play, and there are more examples with other people later on.

Kesnija Bilbija once said: “Some rumors are entirely true. Others contain grains of truth; still others contain none at all. Plausible or implausible, truthful or false, rumors circulate because people are trying to get to the bottom of a matter. The acceptance or rejection of a given rumor in a given time or place depends on its ability to satisfy this need to understand” (Rumor Quotes). This is the entire truth as to why people feed off gossip so much. Just by hearing one rumor about another person or thing, one’s view of that person or thing can change significantly. Rumors can cause the destruction of relationships as in Othello, or the song “Rumor has it” by Adele, or they can cause an entire stock market to crash within a week. Rumors have been around since the beginning of man, and they will always be here, therefore, rumors are one of the many timeless themes in Othello.

When the stock market crashed in 2008, many at first did not completely understand why. Some assumed that we had put too much money into risky investments, particularly the housing market.  Others thought that we had just finally reached a breaking point in our banking system, especially with loans. In fact, both of these given reasons were true. However, neither of those reasons would have been found or given unless the rumor had begun. In the summer of 2008, a rumor started out of the blue that Bear Stearns, a very profitable and wealthy bank, was losing money rapidly. When confronted, the CEO said that everything was fine, and that they still had plenty of money. However, no one with stocks in Bear Stearns believed them, so they began taking out their money anyway. That was when they actually began losing money, and then the risky loans and banking were found (Inside the Meltdown). This is very similar to how Iago told Othello that Desdemona was cheating on him without actually knowing, and therefore destroying a relationship (III.iii.199).

In the song, “Rumor has it” by Adele, it talks about a girl hearing rumors that her significant other is cheating, but nothing is  ever confirmed. One of the lines says: “Haven’t you heard the rumors?” (Adele). This line is very similar to Othello because he believed something that was never confirmed, as did the girl in the song believe something that was never fully confirmed. The song is also similar to Othello when it says: “All of these words whispered in my ear/ Tell a story that I cannot bear to hear” (Adele). It is similar to when he says: “No, Iago,/I’ll see before I doubt, when I doubt, prove,/ And on the proof, there is no more but this-/Away at once with love or jealousy!” (III.iii.189-192). This means that he doesn’t want to believe what Iago is telling him until it is completely proven true, and even then, he doesn’t want to believe it.

Both of these examples given show that rumors are something that we will always have in life, and they may or may not be true. Regardless, however, people will believe them and act on them as well. It also shows how rumors can effect and change lives forever. With Othello killing his wife then himself, and with the market crash, they both had long term effects even though they had started with a false rumor. Rumors will always be around, and it is up to oneself to determine if they are worth listening to.

The first picture shown is the woman, Adele, who wrote both of the songs in the music video. The second picture is the girl who sings the mash up of the two songs together. I chose this song because I think that the two songs together show both sides of the story. One from Othello's view point and the other from Desdemona's. Othello has only heard rumors as to what is wife has been doing, but never found out what the truth is. He, like the song,Rumor has it" plan on no longer being with their significant other, but obviously in different ways. The second song, "Someone like you" shows Desdemona's view point, where she knows that her significant other no longer has the same feelings for her. The two songs together show a very interesting way of combining both sides of the story.

http://www.metrolyrics.com/rumour-has-it-lyrics-adele.html

http://www.metrolyrics.com/someone-like-you-lyrics-adele.html

"Look on the tragic loading of this bed./This is thy work." V.ii.385-386. Who would have thought? Everyone dies except the bad guy in the end. Othello kills Desdemona then himself. Iago kills Emilia. Rodergio is killed by Cassius, but Iago then tries to kill Cassius. And everyone has melodramatic, somewhat annoying, last words, and they all take hours to die. But it wasn't that bad of a play to be honest, just a little predictable.

"He hath, my lord, but be you well assured/No more than he’ll unswear" IV. i. 20-21. Dramatic suspense is created because the reader knows much more than what Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo know. All three of these men think that Iago is on their side and that he is actually is their friend, but when in fact he is working against all three of them. He is only on his side in the end. The reader knows and understands that Iago has ulterior motives. The reader knows that Iago is working against and around all three of them and only wants to get himself ahead. However, since Iago accomplished what he wanted, he is still working against them because he is already so far into his plan. The reader knows that Iago is manipulative, but the three men do not.

This play is mainly over the time span of a few days. With the exception of travelling to Cyprus from Venice, the play isn't very long. It seems longer, however, because of all the flashbacks and references to what had happened earlier. Also, what is somewhat odd about it is how quickly Othello is convinced that Desdemona is cheating on him. This can  kind of skew how the reader portrays time in the play. Most readers may assume that this would take a few months to process and then act, but in this play Othello decides what he is going to do within the span of a few days. Shakespeare left out the time that they were travelling because it was unnecessary. Overall, the play only lasted a week at most.

"I protest, in the sincerity of love and honest kindness." III.iii.295. What I really don't like about Iago is how he switches from iambic pentameter to common speech depending on to whom he is speaking. With Othello and women, it is always iambic pentameter to show either how smart he is, or to show off his education and "superiority" respectively. But then when he is speaking to Cassio it's like he's talking to a five year old. He's not trying to use big words (as if that's possible in Shakespearean writing) and he speaks in common language. He's doing everything he can to make himself as similar to Cassio or Othello so that they think he's on their side. Not to mention, the insincere tone he has is really annoying. The reader knows that he's a jerk, but the characters don't. Yet.

"She puts her tongue a little in her heart/ and chides without thinking" II.i.106-107. Iago is most definitely the antagonist. How he manipulates everyone around him, and how he acts towards women shows that. He's that kind of guy that when you're with him, he doesn't seem to bad. However, as soon as you realize that he's on every one's side, but in the end is really on his own team, you realize that he's a bad guy. But, to me at least, Othello doesn't seem like the protagonist. If anything, he'll be a sort of antihero in the end, and of course, die. I think that Cassio may end up being the real protagonist.

"Down with him thief!" I.i.57. This line is from the first scene of the first act of Othello. From the very beginning, it's easy to see that this is going to be a tragedy. To begin with, it's Shakespeare, so my prediction is that everyone will be dead in the end. Also, since the character that the play is named after is already getting in trouble, it's easy to see that he will be the main cause of conflict, but probably not by his own doing. Also, since it is a tragedy, there must be a bad guy, which is obviously Iago. I think that he might actually make it out alive, but I'm not completely sure. Also, since the first conflict is about Othello and Desdemona, they probably both die in the end.