Character Analysis: Emilia

(So I don't actually remember what we were supposed to do for this blog post, but from reading other blogs, I'm assuming just a character analysis??? Oh well, I'll give it a whirl...)
Emilia is kind of an uncertain character. She typically seems to be a little oblivious of her surroundings and is really not out to hurt anyone, even though she takes the handkerchief and gives it to Iago. She and Desdemona are portrayed as very close friends, and she is pretty much just trying to find her place in life. She is accepting of men and the way they are and she tries to get Desdemona to accept that as well. In the end of the play, she is almost a small hero, and finally is able to convince Othello that Desdemona was not cheating on him, and even though it is too late to change what he has done, I think that was an important element in her character. She realizes that Iago is evil and has tricked just about every character in the book and the fact that she is murdered by him is painful, but it also shows how caring and loving she was when she requests to be put next to Desdemona. Although she didn't play a very large part in the play, I think her presence was often underrated and she had a kind of honesty and love about her that really effected the mood of the play.

Othello-- 3 Techniques

One technique that Shakespeare uses a lot in Othello is foreshadowing. He is constantly dropping little hints that big events will happen in the future. I think he does this to add suspense and to keep us thinking about possibilities from the plot. There is also false foreshadowing sometimes, which is also kind of fun in text because it leads us in the wrong direction and suddenly pulls us into a creative twist. 

Another technique that Shakespeare includes in Othello is the style of his dialogue structure. He often gives one character a big long monologue with another character giving little snippets of input. I think Shakespeare uses these because he doesn't have a narrator to tell the audience what is happening, so he uses the characters as a way of describing what is going on in the play, since we don't have as many backup visuals as a movie or a narrator, like in a novel. 

A third technique that Shakespeare often uses in Othello is symbolism. Shakespeare uses the handkerchief as a symbol of jealousy and control. It shows up quite frequently and it becomes a very strong image that is woven throughout many of the characters of the play. For example, Iago is able to use it to convince Othello that Desdemona is cheating, Bianca is able to use it to accuse Cassio of cheating, and Othello uses it to accuse Desdemona of cheating. It gives us a sense that one object can be very powerful and jealousy is something that spreads like wildfire and can affect quite a large group of people.

Othello -- Act 4, Scene One Key Passage

"Othello: I will chop her into messes. Cuckold me? [...] Get me some poison, Iago, this night. I'll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again. This night, Iago. "

I chose this passage because I think this is the real turning point where Othello decides to believe Iago and take action from his anger. This is kind of an exploding point for Othello and it is definitely foreshadowing some very rash decisions. At this passage, Othello has decided to take Iago's side (even without hardcore evidence) and has made a final direction in his thoughts: Desdemona has been unfaithful and will be punished. It disappoints me that he is thinking like this, because other than Iago's stories and Cassio having the handkerchief, he really has no other evidence that she has been cheating. I don't like the fact that Iago is able to manipulate everything around so that it looks like they are having an affair, although it is very intriguing that every single part of his plan has worked out perfectly to his advantage and he is able to predict all of the character's reactions and replies. 

Katie-Jo Dacey said...

I also noticed that Iago is very good at manipulating and twisting things/people around. It amazes me that he does this so easily and that everything is working out in his favor.

Othello Journal #3

I was really surprised at the way Iago was talking to Desdemona and Emilia. He was so rude and blunt and disrespectful about all of it, I couldn't believe that he just went on and on and no one stopped him. I'm kind of interested in Cassio and Emilia and I wonder what roles these two new characters will play in the rest of the story. Cassio seems a little bit confusing mostly because of his way of interacting with people. Was holding hands and kissing really just "the custom" or was he actually being flirtatious with the girls? There definitely felt like something was going on between him and Desdemona and I wonder how this will escalate with Iago, Roderigo, and Othello.

Othello Journal #2 --- Cyprus

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean that was 80% Greek and 20% Turkish. In the 16th century, many of the island's crops were ruined by American competition in the Mediterranean, where the busy waters became neglected, passing by Cyprus completely. During this time period, there were many tax-revolts which united the Greeks and Turks against the government.


My comments on other people's blogs:
Katie-Jo Dacey said...

That's terrible!! I wonder how common epilepsy was among people back then, I feel bad for them; they can't even control it and they're accused of being possessed by Satan...

Katie-Jo Dacey said...

I think it's interesting how generic and widespread the term "Moor" was. It is used to describe a lot of different ethnic groups.

Katie-Jo Dacey said...

Hmm.. I read something that said that the Cyprus and the Greeks joined forces many times against the government, not that they were fighting against each other. Weird...

Othello Journal #1

So I think the main point of Act One, Scene One was to inform us that Othello and Brabantio's daughter have eloped. In the beginning of the scene, Iago and Roderigo are talking about Iago's job and how he isn't being promoted and someone else less experienced than him is getting the position that he should've gotten. And then, they continue to go to Brabantio's house and wake him up, telling him that his daughter has run away to get married. 

It took me a really long time to understand what I was reading. I pretty much just had to read it over and over again. And over and over and over it again some more. And it's really disrupting to have to use the explanatory notes, but I guess they helped. 

My Paragraph for the Project

    In this passage, Wilson chooses to use very abrupt sentence structure and contrasting ideas in order to show that a person will do whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams, even if it means cheating their own family. At this point in the novel, Boy Willie has decided to take the piano no matter what anyone says. He has begun to  take action, declaring that he is “through with talking to Berniece. You can talk to Berniece ‘till you get blue in the face, and it don’t make no difference. Get up on that side, Lymon. Throw that rope around there and tie it to the leg” (98). The way Wilson places two contrasting ideas (his feelings toward Berniece and his orders to Lymon) right next to each other shows that he has made up his mind and is going to take the piano, despite the fact that it does not belong to only him. This shows us how Willie is thinking. It shows us that he does not think about his decisions and he has a very selfish character, which enhances the selfishness of the theme. He is totally okay with stealing something from his very own  sister just to get the money to buy his own land. He doesn’t care about the meeaning of the piano; the importance of the family history that lies in it’s structure. All Boy Willie wants is the money, and he is determined enough to go as far as crushing a sibling’s heart, determined enough to take a bullet through the head, just to fulfill a dream.

The Piano Lesson #7

Wow, so we got a whole new side of Lymon! I was totally not expecting the way he was coming onto Berniece and it makes me wonder why there are two different men that are interested in Berniece; she doesn't seem like a very nice person that would be really popular among men. It also confuses me a little bit because he went through this whole big shpiel about how he wants a woman he can settle down with and marry, but it's totally obvious that Berniece is not interested in the same things, so it doesn't quite make sense to why he would even try. But anyways, this scene also enhanced our understanding of Boy Willie. I thought it was just Berniece that he was disrespectful to, but now we realize through the way he treats Grace that he basically just wants her as a sexual object. 

My comment on  Maegan Redfern's Blog:
I agree on the point that you made about Lymon giving Avery a run for his money. I think their little tender moment is definitely foreshadowing some conflict in the very near future; whether it is between Avery and Lymon, Berniece and Lymon, Avery and Berniece, or any mixture of those.

The Piano Lesson #6

I actually really enjoyed this scene. It was the first time that we actually got to hear Berniece in a somewhat natural state (typically, she is just yelling at all the people in her house). It really showed us as readers to why she doesn't want to play the piano and it gave Berniece a sensible attitude. She makes some good points to why she doesn't want to get married and why it doesn't make sense that men can be fine without a woman but it's a totally different situation when it's the other way around. Although I do think that eventually, she needs to get over the death of her first husband and she needs to realize that life is more than living in the hour of yesterday, I kind of feel  bad for her because she's obviously not over it and she even states that she just needs more time. I think Avery needs to take the hint and just let her have the time that she asks for; everyone grieves differently. 


My comment on Alec Malnati's Blog:
I do agree that Berniece does need to move on and her past really is controlling the future, but I think that might just be what needs to happen. Everyone gets over things differently and if she needs time, that's the only thing that is going to allow her to truly move on. I don't think she should just put on the face and pretend that she is over the death of her husband just so she can marry Avery.

The Piano Lesson #5

The play is starting to give off kind of a strange mood. I feel like the book isn't really going anywhere (there's quite a bit of time spent on the suit and dirty jokes) but I know that something big has to happen, or else it would be completely pointless. I was a little bit surprised at the sexual humor, it really kind of brought down the maturity level, which, unfortunately, isn't a good thing, in my opinion. I also wonder if maybe the suit/the way Wining Boy sold the suit to Lymon symbolizes something. I think it reveals a little bit about Lymon's character; he doesn't really think about it at all, he just buys it because it makes him look good. I think this might be foreshadowing that he might make quick, thoughtless decisions in the future.


My comment on Berit Foster's:
Whoa! That was the suit of the dead guy?!? I didn't even know that, that's a really good observation. That's kind of creepy, it makes sense to why Wining Boy was trying to sell it, though...

The Piano Lesson #2

I was really surprised at how rude Berniece was to Boy Willie and Lymon. Pretty much the entire time they are at Doaker's house, she is accusing them of something, yelling at them, or telling them to leave. It makes me think that maybe they have a "history" together, and I wonder if they have always been this way, or if Berniece was just in a bad mood. I was also surprised at how quick the pace of this play is. We haven't gotten very far at all, and already, we have had accusations, arguments, and the witnessing of a "ghost." Although it is busy, I think I kind of like how fast it is going, because it really keeps your brain hooked on it and wanting more. 

My comment on Cassondra Teach's blog:
I think the whole myth/ghost thing is weird too. It's kind of cheesy in my opinion and I'm wondering why grown adults are believing in it...

The Piano Lesson Journal Entry #1

Well, it's a little early in the book to make very many assumptions, but what we read in class surprised me. It had a very fun tone, and it feels like it is going to be a pretty lighthearted book. The language really contributed to this, although I disagree with what some people think about the way the characters talk. I don't think I would use the word "uneducated" to describe the way they talk, because that makes them seem unintelligent, which isn't necessarily true. Just because they talk in a different style, doesn't mean they are stupid. 
I also enjoyed the attitude of the characters. Boy Willie and Droaker seemed very gleeful and careless, which makes me feel like that is the way the rest of the play will be. It created a quicker pace, which makes it a little more interesting to read. 

My comment on James Dolan's Blog:
I'm going to have to disagree with this one. There are plenty of musicians out there that aren't "educated." Just because someone talks differently, doesn't mean they don't have intelligence and this is pretty irrelevant to music in my opinion. 

English Cry Journal #5

I think Cry, the Beloved Country is split into two parts to go deeper into the themes of the novel. We are showed two different perspectives so we get the whole effect of the situation. It would have been confusing if it was just divided into chapters, and the author really wants to emphasize that he's changing the point of view and the overall style of the story, since it is from a new person's perspective.

Oppression

http://www.examiner.com/domestic-issues-in-national/human-trafficking-gives-violent-connotation-to-the-term-family-values


http://www.examiner.com/domestic-issues-in-national/obstetric-maternal-mortality-is-one-of-the-leading-causes-of-death-africa-and-asia

2nd Assignment

    Lord of the Flies would be a completely different novel if it included females. For one, girls normally tend to be more logically driven, where as boys tend to thrive off of adrenaline. I think if there were girls included in this book, there would definitely be less fighting and a lot more control over disagreements. Also, Golding would have had to add a female's point of view and that would have  changed almost everything.  The big split-up at the end and the death of Piggy and Simon probably wouldn't have even happened. On the other hand, girls also have a bad habit of bringing a lot of unnecesary drama into situations like these, and although they might not get violent about it, it would be quite a bit more emotional. In my personal opinion, I don't think adding females to this story would improve it, but it would most definitely alter it.

1st Assignment

    One decision that William Golding made on the first page that I thought was interesting was how he showed Piggy being left behind. When Piggy tries to get Ralph's attention, Ralph almost ignores him and sort of tries to pretend that he's not there. This stood out to me because Piggy is left behind throughout the entire novel and it really shows how people with personalities that don't quite "make as much noise" are always the people that are thought of the least. Piggy was probably one of the smartest kids in this novel and no one ever listens to him; they simply dismiss all of his ideas. 
    Another thing that I noticed about the first page was how differently Piggy and Ralph act. It said that Ralph "clamber[ed] heavily among the creepers" and "jerked his stockings." The decision to use very strong and weighty words like "clamber," "heavy," and "jerked" shows us a little bit of Ralph's personality; he isn't always so careful and he has the kind of attitude that leaves a very lasting impression. Whereas Piggy, "removed the thorns carefully" and "searched out safe lodgements for his feet." In this part, Golding decides to use words like "carefully," searched," and "safe" to show that Piggy has a much more cautious approach to things. This most definitely forshadows how these two characters will act later on in the novel.