I do like the way Kurt Vonnegut writes. He has a flow and a voice that makes me feel like if I were listening to a fairy tale or a very long anecdote. I have never read a first chapter in which the author tell how he wrote the book, usually that’s the prologue or the introduction o the Author’s note, but no the first chapter of a novel. In a Clockwork Orange the part in which the author (Anthony Burgess) talks his own personal experience writing the book or after being published, “The book I wrote is divided into three sections of seven chapters each.” (Pg. x Clockwork Orange) Giving his opinion on the success of the book, the mistakes of the book, etc… yet, he does not write about it in a novel-type of voice, but more of a personal analysis. Kurt does. Its like if the writing of the book is part of the book.
“Even then I was supposedly writing a book about Dresden.” (pg. 10 Slaughterhouse Five) It did amaze me that the process of writing the book is part of the book. It makes total sense! How you write a book influences a lot on the book itself, and I agree with Vonnegut in incorporating all the process he had to go through to write the book. Starting with getting O’Hare in the phone because he would help him write the book, “We were captured together in the war. I told him who I was on the telephone. He had trouble believing it.” (pg. 4) And to how he got to the final publishing of the Book. The original name of the book was Children’s Crusades, “‘I tell you what,’ I said, ‘I’ll call it ‘The Children’s Crusade’’ She was my friend after that.” it ends up being Slaughterhouse Five.
The tone he uses makes the book an easy and fast writing to read. It is enjoyable. Vonnegut uses very short and simple sentences, therefore the book itself is not a brick (ladrillo) to read. I liked this quote because of the simple and yet concise word choice. “And I let the dog out, or I let him in, and we talk some. I let him know I like him, and he lets me know he likes me. He doesn’t mind the smell of mustard gas and roses.” (pg. 7) He personifies the “dog” by saying that they talk, nevertheless so I am not saying that people can’t talk with dogs (referring to communicating with them). He also uses the phrase “smell mustard gas and roses” from the breath of a drunk, which his wife dislikes, but his dog doesn’t!
As in the content of the book, meaning the destruction of Dresden and an anti-war book, I had no idea about Dresden massacre. I googled it and found out that it was totally destroyed by the Red Army of Germany between 1944 and 1945. An estimation of 150,000 to 250,000 deaths, no wonder someone like Vonnegut would like to write about it.
lunes, 31 de agosto de 2009
jueves, 27 de agosto de 2009
Se7en
Here is the link to the trailer of the movie Se7en, with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. This movie mentions DAnte's Inferno and is based on the sins and the punishments for each sin. I think it is very interesting clip to share in class!
"You got what you deserved!" If You want to know more about this film click here
NOT To Do
I am not sure if Dante the character or Dante the author changed dramatically. Nonetheless, after writing (or living) through such a novel and series of events it is inevitable to change at least the perspective of life. It changed mine, so definitely must have changed Dante, the speaker. Probably to a better sense, learning and being conscious of what the consequences are of our actions.
Witnessing Lucifer and the ultimate punishment did affect Dante’s feelings and emotions, “If he was once as handsome as he now… is ugly and, despite that, raised his brows… against his Maker, one can understand… how every sorrow has its source in him!” (Canto XXXIV, 33-37). Dis was a very disturbing image, and Dante’s feelings are touched: “…how every sorrow has its source in him!” The statement proves that Dante has an emotion towards the image. Including the feeling he had when he entered the Nith Circle Fourth Ring, “deprived of life and death.” This hollowness inside himself might lead him to wonder to a better place after going through hell. He is full of bitterness and “within a shadowed forest,” (Canto I, 2) since the beginning of his journey and at the end he is even more so. If I were to keep on reading Dante’s inferno once he is out of hell, I would be reading how he applies his experience to Earth to then go to Heaven, because ultimately what Dante is doing is experimenting sorrow “…and all the rest whose minds bent toward the good,…do tell me where they are and let me meet them;…for my great longing drives me on to learn… if Heaven sweetens or Hell poisons the.” (Canto VI, 81-84) Dante, the character, wants to learn, his goal in hell is to reach his “great longing”.
Once he is out of hell, he would go to Earth, back to where he had lost his way and felt lost. But this time, he would not feel that lost, even though at the end of the novel he is described as feeling sad and deprived. He would know what he supposed NOT to do. Dante then goes through a journey of a series of challenges, and in order to successfully exceed them, he needs to apply what he learned in hell. Once he knows what NOT to do, he goes to Heaven and learns what to DO.
Witnessing Lucifer and the ultimate punishment did affect Dante’s feelings and emotions, “If he was once as handsome as he now… is ugly and, despite that, raised his brows… against his Maker, one can understand… how every sorrow has its source in him!” (Canto XXXIV, 33-37). Dis was a very disturbing image, and Dante’s feelings are touched: “…how every sorrow has its source in him!” The statement proves that Dante has an emotion towards the image. Including the feeling he had when he entered the Nith Circle Fourth Ring, “deprived of life and death.” This hollowness inside himself might lead him to wonder to a better place after going through hell. He is full of bitterness and “within a shadowed forest,” (Canto I, 2) since the beginning of his journey and at the end he is even more so. If I were to keep on reading Dante’s inferno once he is out of hell, I would be reading how he applies his experience to Earth to then go to Heaven, because ultimately what Dante is doing is experimenting sorrow “…and all the rest whose minds bent toward the good,…do tell me where they are and let me meet them;…for my great longing drives me on to learn… if Heaven sweetens or Hell poisons the.” (Canto VI, 81-84) Dante, the character, wants to learn, his goal in hell is to reach his “great longing”.
Once he is out of hell, he would go to Earth, back to where he had lost his way and felt lost. But this time, he would not feel that lost, even though at the end of the novel he is described as feeling sad and deprived. He would know what he supposed NOT to do. Dante then goes through a journey of a series of challenges, and in order to successfully exceed them, he needs to apply what he learned in hell. Once he knows what NOT to do, he goes to Heaven and learns what to DO.
martes, 25 de agosto de 2009
I Love
In Respeland, utopia is the reality the citizens live in.
Yet, it takes a lot of ability to maintain a society
by which today’s humanity would have never been
of much credibility.
The rules of my world consist of basic values
the ones we were taught, “do not be mean”
but to be perfect there are no clues.
I believe inhabitants must have no fear
to give and gift, for nothing in return other than
a kiss in the cheek or whisper in the ear.
For her to understand what whispered Jonathan
they need to speak with the same speech
and have the same principles
however no more than two children, each.
Too many people, causes’ cripples-
chaos, destruction and disorder.
Until now, the world is a place of multiples,
some love, some murder
I love
Do you?
Yet, it takes a lot of ability to maintain a society
by which today’s humanity would have never been
of much credibility.
The rules of my world consist of basic values
the ones we were taught, “do not be mean”
but to be perfect there are no clues.
I believe inhabitants must have no fear
to give and gift, for nothing in return other than
a kiss in the cheek or whisper in the ear.
For her to understand what whispered Jonathan
they need to speak with the same speech
and have the same principles
however no more than two children, each.
Too many people, causes’ cripples-
chaos, destruction and disorder.
Until now, the world is a place of multiples,
some love, some murder
I love
Do you?
lunes, 24 de agosto de 2009
Poetic Karma
Poetic justice is according to Wikipedia is the ironic outcome of a character’s conduct or fate. In Dante’s Inferno poetic justice is present in every single Circle or Ring of hell, either in a figurative way or more literal way. The sinners are being punished by the sin they committed. For example the traitors are kept covered by ice to feel the cold heart that their betrayed benefactors felt when they committed treason, as well to those who did not felt regret for what they did now cry eternally with frozen tears that seal their eyes, “Their very weeping there wont let them weep,…and grief that finds a barrier in their eyes… turns inward to increase their agony;…because their first tears freeze into a cluster,…and, like a crystal visor, fill up all… the hollow the is underneath the eyebrow.” (Canto XXXIII, 94-99) They did not weep for their sin, and now their weeping is agonizing and forever. Poetic Justice is somewhat like Karma, the actions that you do eventually turn back to you, either negative or positive. It is the irony of life, fate depends on your actions and most of the time it does not match the way it should be.
In Season 3 Episode 1 “Two” of The Twilight Zone, poetic justice is perceived as an unexpected turn of fate. The series originated in the 1980s as science fiction and abstract ideas. The episode plots a setting of an abandoned city where war had destroyed and left it isolated. There are two only characters. A woman comes first as a stranger in dark uniform to the zone, she does not know where she is and what she will find there, nevertheless she looks around for food and when she finds a can of chicken a man comes in, in a light uniform. The moment they see each other they fight desperately for the food and as enemies of different armies. He feels guilty, I am not sure what made him change his mind about her, but he gives her half of the chicken. Maybe he realized that the fact that they had different color of uniform would not do a difference in a deserted area. However, she does not give in so easily. Why so? It was not that she didn’t understand what he was saying, and she knew that he was kind enough to give her food. The women breaks in fear after seeing war propaganda posters, in which she was titled as the “enemy” because of her uniform and he was titled as a “hero”, so attacks him. Swiftly the day after she puts on the dress, (the one that he wanted her to put on) and they smile at each other as a loved couple would do. Even though hate and love are not necessarily antonyms, they are known to be opposite and it is paradoxical that the outcome of the episode is not that one of them kills the other, but that they fall in love. Therefore, it is Poetic Justice.
In Season 3 Episode 1 “Two” of The Twilight Zone, poetic justice is perceived as an unexpected turn of fate. The series originated in the 1980s as science fiction and abstract ideas. The episode plots a setting of an abandoned city where war had destroyed and left it isolated. There are two only characters. A woman comes first as a stranger in dark uniform to the zone, she does not know where she is and what she will find there, nevertheless she looks around for food and when she finds a can of chicken a man comes in, in a light uniform. The moment they see each other they fight desperately for the food and as enemies of different armies. He feels guilty, I am not sure what made him change his mind about her, but he gives her half of the chicken. Maybe he realized that the fact that they had different color of uniform would not do a difference in a deserted area. However, she does not give in so easily. Why so? It was not that she didn’t understand what he was saying, and she knew that he was kind enough to give her food. The women breaks in fear after seeing war propaganda posters, in which she was titled as the “enemy” because of her uniform and he was titled as a “hero”, so attacks him. Swiftly the day after she puts on the dress, (the one that he wanted her to put on) and they smile at each other as a loved couple would do. Even though hate and love are not necessarily antonyms, they are known to be opposite and it is paradoxical that the outcome of the episode is not that one of them kills the other, but that they fall in love. Therefore, it is Poetic Justice.
jueves, 20 de agosto de 2009
PrInCeSs-AnGeL
PrInCeSs:
HELLO! How are you?
AnGel93:
Heey!! I’m fine... How are you?
PrInCeSs:
I’m good! How was your day?
AnGel93:
Honestly, I’m really tired... How about you? Fun vacations?
PrInCeSs:
They were the best!
AnGel93:
Where did you go? I want to know all about it!
PrInCeSs:
I did a lot of things. The first couple of weeks I stayed in Bogota and hanged around with my friends, I went to parties and stuff, it was fun, u know? Then I went to a summer camp and it was THE BEST, I met soooo many people and I loved Guajira. Then I flew to Bogota and then to Cali.
How was your Vacation?
AnGel93:
Well sounds like you had a lot of fun! I had a lot of fun also, I also stayed in Bogota until beginnings of August when I flew to Miami. Then I went to Tampa and had so much fun in Busch Gardens! Amazing rides!
PrInCeSs:
OMG! You went to Bush Gardens?!
Tell me about it!
AnGel93:
Yeah! It was Awesome!!! There’s amazing rides. Very tall ones and fast ones, I rode on Sheikra that is a roller coaster 200 meters high and it has a fall of 90 degrees! Quite scary but I made it. Water rides, other tall roller coaster, fun but exhausting.
How about Guajira? I’ve never been there!
PrInCeSs:
You got on Sheikra? Last time I went there, I rode about 3 times its like THE BEST roller coaster in the world. Did you see the animals? Who was with you?
AnGel93:
Yep like 2 times! I went with my parents, (not boring at all) it’s obvious that with friends it’s like a thousand times better!
PrInCeSs:
Did your parents ride it too?! I CANT BELIEVE IT! Hahahahha, my parents would never do that. I went with my uncles that are like crazy, and my brother. :P
AnGel93:
Yes they did, but not all of them.
PrInCeSs:
I also went to Islands of Adventure that time. I want to go back
AnGel93:
Me too!! I want to go back soon. It’s so fun! :) I hate that Colombia doesn’t have that kind of entertainment for people.
PrInCeSs :
I know, it really sucks.
I didn’t finish telling you about Guajira!
AnGel93:
Tell me, tell me!
PrInCeSs:
Well, I met so many people, you can’t imagine. I spent a lot of time with the Staff because de kids were some too young. I met the HOTTEST guy on Earth
AnGel93:
OMG! How about that? What happened with him? Who is the mystery guy?
PrInCeSs:
He is amazing, so HOT! But he was a counselor so nothing could have happened.:(
Screwed.
AnGel93:
Damn! I’ve heard of hot counselors at camp. I met a counselor in Kajuyali of Lagartos. OMG he’s the hottest guy on earth! :) But oh well! If love is to come, it will come alone!
PrInCeSs:
Hahahahaha! I love that you tell me that
AnGel93:
It’s totally true. After all, I hate guys... They’re all the same.
PrInCeSs:
I know, they such jerks, Screw them ALL
AnGel93:
Totally
I need my prince charming
But when will he come? Hahahaha
PrInCeSs:
I think that’s overrated, it does not exist
Sorry disappointing you!
AnGel93:
Well you never know until it comes. Believe me, someday, I’ll feel like a princess! Having my prince charming.
PrInCeSs:
Hahahahhaha! Let’s keep on dreaming. Talking about that I’m kinda tired! See you tomorrow! ILY
AnGel93
ILY 2
HELLO! How are you?
AnGel93:
Heey!! I’m fine... How are you?
PrInCeSs:
I’m good! How was your day?
AnGel93:
Honestly, I’m really tired... How about you? Fun vacations?
PrInCeSs:
They were the best!
AnGel93:
Where did you go? I want to know all about it!
PrInCeSs:
I did a lot of things. The first couple of weeks I stayed in Bogota and hanged around with my friends, I went to parties and stuff, it was fun, u know? Then I went to a summer camp and it was THE BEST, I met soooo many people and I loved Guajira. Then I flew to Bogota and then to Cali.
How was your Vacation?
AnGel93:
Well sounds like you had a lot of fun! I had a lot of fun also, I also stayed in Bogota until beginnings of August when I flew to Miami. Then I went to Tampa and had so much fun in Busch Gardens! Amazing rides!
PrInCeSs:
OMG! You went to Bush Gardens?!
Tell me about it!
AnGel93:
Yeah! It was Awesome!!! There’s amazing rides. Very tall ones and fast ones, I rode on Sheikra that is a roller coaster 200 meters high and it has a fall of 90 degrees! Quite scary but I made it. Water rides, other tall roller coaster, fun but exhausting.
How about Guajira? I’ve never been there!
PrInCeSs:
You got on Sheikra? Last time I went there, I rode about 3 times its like THE BEST roller coaster in the world. Did you see the animals? Who was with you?
AnGel93:
Yep like 2 times! I went with my parents, (not boring at all) it’s obvious that with friends it’s like a thousand times better!
PrInCeSs:
Did your parents ride it too?! I CANT BELIEVE IT! Hahahahha, my parents would never do that. I went with my uncles that are like crazy, and my brother. :P
AnGel93:
Yes they did, but not all of them.
PrInCeSs:
I also went to Islands of Adventure that time. I want to go back
AnGel93:
Me too!! I want to go back soon. It’s so fun! :) I hate that Colombia doesn’t have that kind of entertainment for people.
PrInCeSs :
I know, it really sucks.
I didn’t finish telling you about Guajira!
AnGel93:
Tell me, tell me!
PrInCeSs:
Well, I met so many people, you can’t imagine. I spent a lot of time with the Staff because de kids were some too young. I met the HOTTEST guy on Earth
AnGel93:
OMG! How about that? What happened with him? Who is the mystery guy?
PrInCeSs:
He is amazing, so HOT! But he was a counselor so nothing could have happened.:(
Screwed.
AnGel93:
Damn! I’ve heard of hot counselors at camp. I met a counselor in Kajuyali of Lagartos. OMG he’s the hottest guy on earth! :) But oh well! If love is to come, it will come alone!
PrInCeSs:
Hahahahaha! I love that you tell me that
AnGel93:
It’s totally true. After all, I hate guys... They’re all the same.
PrInCeSs:
I know, they such jerks, Screw them ALL
AnGel93:
Totally
I need my prince charming
But when will he come? Hahahaha
PrInCeSs:
I think that’s overrated, it does not exist
Sorry disappointing you!
AnGel93:
Well you never know until it comes. Believe me, someday, I’ll feel like a princess! Having my prince charming.
PrInCeSs:
Hahahahhaha! Let’s keep on dreaming. Talking about that I’m kinda tired! See you tomorrow! ILY
AnGel93
ILY 2
miércoles, 19 de agosto de 2009
Click
A blog, there are so many attempts to explain the real definition of it and how it works that they all basically lead to a bunch of descriptions or a writing. Blogs today are the basis of our society in many ways: Their definition resembles the one of an individual’s life; restless, at full speed and nonstop. As Sara Boxer said “Bloggers breeze through places, people, texts, and blogs that you might or might not know”. We are so full of activities and “to-do” things that we simply breeze through everything. Blogs give out a lot of information about absolutely every topic, all kinds of knowledge is found in the blogs and links on them that there is no end. Surfing through the blogs can easily become an addiction. I believe that there is a whole bunch of people stuck to their computers rapidly flying through all kinds of posts, blogs, links that lead them to new information and we, all of us are thirsty to know much more than we now in the present. “They move from blogs to news clips to videos on YouTube, and they do it more easily than you can turn a newspaper page.” What is the point of reading a magazine or a book if we can go much further on the internet? One reason can be that it’s part of history, and culture and bla bla bla, yet it’s not of great importance when we can find out all we want of our interest in just one click.
A book of an anthology of blogs is ironic. The meaning of the Blog is to be found on the internet and be eternal; a book is not eternal and is not free, as a blog is. Blogs are the new literature, the modern art of writing. It takes skill to write a blog that interests crowds. Books are the past, and progress is in the future. “Making a book out of bloggy material, if it could be done at all, would kill it, wouldn't it?” Sara is right; I don’t even think a book of blogs can be done. If it is done, how –out of 100 million blogs that are about doubled every 5 minutes- would the blogs be chosen? Probably by the level of popularity, which leads to a wrong intention of the blogs, “Now that fame and links are one and the same, there are bloggers out there who will do practically anything—start rumors, tell lies, pick fights, create fake personas, and post embarrassing videos—to get noticed and linked to.” And it is still valid, because blogs have no rubric to follow, nor a series of rules not to break. Gossip and rumors are what sell the most. The best example I can think of is Facebook, “A January 2009 Compete.com study has ranked Facebook as the most used social network by worldwide monthly active users, followed by MySpace.” (Wikipedia) I myself am afraid to be a little dependant of Facebook. It is basically a very complex way of blogging. Every little detail about all the people around you is published by “mini blogs” that we send to each other, and infinity of other applications.
As a matter of fact, the less information you get in a blog the more you get stuck in it and want to find out more. “They often begin their posts mid-thought or mid-rant—in medias craze. They don't care if they leave you in the dust.” Sara describes perfectly one of the main characteristics of blogs, they are not written to please and fulfill the readers, they are simply posted. If a blog is of your interest then you keep connecting to other links. The essence of a blog is that it doesn’t end in one click.
A book of an anthology of blogs is ironic. The meaning of the Blog is to be found on the internet and be eternal; a book is not eternal and is not free, as a blog is. Blogs are the new literature, the modern art of writing. It takes skill to write a blog that interests crowds. Books are the past, and progress is in the future. “Making a book out of bloggy material, if it could be done at all, would kill it, wouldn't it?” Sara is right; I don’t even think a book of blogs can be done. If it is done, how –out of 100 million blogs that are about doubled every 5 minutes- would the blogs be chosen? Probably by the level of popularity, which leads to a wrong intention of the blogs, “Now that fame and links are one and the same, there are bloggers out there who will do practically anything—start rumors, tell lies, pick fights, create fake personas, and post embarrassing videos—to get noticed and linked to.” And it is still valid, because blogs have no rubric to follow, nor a series of rules not to break. Gossip and rumors are what sell the most. The best example I can think of is Facebook, “A January 2009 Compete.com study has ranked Facebook as the most used social network by worldwide monthly active users, followed by MySpace.” (Wikipedia) I myself am afraid to be a little dependant of Facebook. It is basically a very complex way of blogging. Every little detail about all the people around you is published by “mini blogs” that we send to each other, and infinity of other applications.
As a matter of fact, the less information you get in a blog the more you get stuck in it and want to find out more. “They often begin their posts mid-thought or mid-rant—in medias craze. They don't care if they leave you in the dust.” Sara describes perfectly one of the main characteristics of blogs, they are not written to please and fulfill the readers, they are simply posted. If a blog is of your interest then you keep connecting to other links. The essence of a blog is that it doesn’t end in one click.
martes, 18 de agosto de 2009
10th Perfect Grade
As the books I read were trying to portrait the perfect society, I was trying to portrait my perfect school year as a 10th grader. In the welcoming assembly Mr. Terry mentioned Big Brother, as in 1984, he said that there were new cameras in school to have more security and be on top of us. That was not the perfect 10th grade first day. I hoped for a year more loose and fun and with better and improved rules, yet not tougher and stricter rules. Nevertheless the perfect high school depends on the perspective of every individual, as in Brave New World the perfect world consists of genetically modified twins Alpha and Beta, all created to complete a certain job, and drug themselves with a daily ration of 2 grams of “soma”, for me the perfect high school consists of having a blast of a time hanging around with friends and playing and mocking around all day, it is not the same vision as the principal.
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