I have a thing for short poems, I'm practical (fancy for lazy) and I like things to come and go and say what they came to say. so naturally i think i felt attracted to poem # 12.
"The butcher-boy puts off his killing clothes, or sharpens his knife at the stall in the market" (Whitman) from the very first line the gory scene unfolds that makes anybody want to boycott beef. And then Whitman describes another type of working man: "Blacksmiths with grimed and hairy chests environ the anvil"(Whitman) and again this yucky image comes to mind of unattractive men with sweaty armpits and hairy bodies and it is simply disturbing.
You read a line and then regret you did but read the next one anyways. Addictive. Thats how all writing should be.
domingo, 13 de diciembre de 2009
Whitman vs. Rotten
I read the rest of the poems and found them all to be great, but they made a mistake by putting the first poem first, since the rest aren't as great so you end up disappointed in a sense. This poem is basically a pat on the back is you can relate. The unexplainable feeling of feeling good in you own skin (and your own perfume) that hasn't come around so much since... well, since the Sex Pistols. 'Modern' poetry is all about butchering you ego and mutilating your self-image until there is nothing else but a rotten pile of what used to be a pretty little person.
I have a sensitive sense of smell, which is great when it comes to walking into someone's house for the first time and breathing in all that irreplaceable scent, but it can be a dread when walking into an airplane that reeks of unclean cushions and coffee-like substance. I love perfume and I really like how the poem talks about everybody's own perfume, your own signature scent that we need to learn how to love and be fond of.
http://www.bartleby.com/142/14.html
I have a sensitive sense of smell, which is great when it comes to walking into someone's house for the first time and breathing in all that irreplaceable scent, but it can be a dread when walking into an airplane that reeks of unclean cushions and coffee-like substance. I love perfume and I really like how the poem talks about everybody's own perfume, your own signature scent that we need to learn how to love and be fond of.
http://www.bartleby.com/142/14.html
jueves, 3 de diciembre de 2009
A Simple Soul (1, 2 &3): A Bird, A Flame
The first thing I noticed was that Flaubert uses a lot of describing. He carefully details dresses and loafs of bread and surroundings in general such as people and houses. "This house, with its slate-covered roof, was built between a passage-way and a narrow street that led to the river." (Flaubert)
The author doesn't really play with the sentences, but is rather objective and focuses more on being detailed and having smooth paragraphs. The vocabulary is not hard to follow although it is formal and uses unusual words as in "The path led at first through undulating grounds, and thence to a plateau, where pastures and tilled fields
alternated"(Flaubert). In the former quote, we find description again: its seems to be a big part of his style since he uses descriptions even to move around his characters.
I think the book is situated in the eighteen hundreds but I can never be completely sure. The way Flauebert show the lack of power of Madame Aubain and the way she is treated as her (dead) husband's accessory rather than his thinking, living wife, shows an old school way of thinking.
It was pleasant to read through his writing because it has a certain amount of poetry without getting impossible to understand. "She found it hard, however, to think of the latter as a person, for was it not a bird, a flame, and sometimes only a breath?" (Flaubert). Sometimes descriptions can get a little bit old, but most of the time the words are so carefully chosen that it keeps you hooked.
The author doesn't really play with the sentences, but is rather objective and focuses more on being detailed and having smooth paragraphs. The vocabulary is not hard to follow although it is formal and uses unusual words as in "The path led at first through undulating grounds, and thence to a plateau, where pastures and tilled fields
alternated"(Flaubert). In the former quote, we find description again: its seems to be a big part of his style since he uses descriptions even to move around his characters.
I think the book is situated in the eighteen hundreds but I can never be completely sure. The way Flauebert show the lack of power of Madame Aubain and the way she is treated as her (dead) husband's accessory rather than his thinking, living wife, shows an old school way of thinking.
It was pleasant to read through his writing because it has a certain amount of poetry without getting impossible to understand. "She found it hard, however, to think of the latter as a person, for was it not a bird, a flame, and sometimes only a breath?" (Flaubert). Sometimes descriptions can get a little bit old, but most of the time the words are so carefully chosen that it keeps you hooked.
martes, 1 de diciembre de 2009
The Brat and the Book (Gary Lutz)
First of all, I'd like to point out that I absolutely love how much creativity the author put into his choice of words. As he is talking about style he uses a lot of style himself and plays with structure and vocabulary to make his experiences with writing come alive.
In my childhood I was exposed to a lot of story-writing since my grandmother, who used to be a journalist, had dedicated herself to writing children's books and once in a while she would write short stories for fun. She used to teach me songs and words and since my parents decided to raise me speaking spanish first, she gave me my share of english every once in a while. I used to brag to my dad by sitting down with any storybook and reading out loud to him.
I have come to realize through my few years of writing that style is a very important, if not the most important, part of writing. There are no printed rules about style and authors can play with it however they please. Style gives identity to the story and leaves a little bit of the author behind in every piece. "the words have to lean on each other, rub elbows, rub off on each other, feel each other up" (Lutz) When you write you want people to remember what you said because maybe you were lucky enough to cause an impact by putting ideas under a new light. I personally try to really carefully choose my words and the order they should go in, I love to play with adjectives because that is how you really get to show unusual ways of showing things.
"The content words comprise the nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and most verbs: they are carriers of information and suppliers of sensory evidence." (Lutz)
I think Lutz managed to give a great description of how writing feels like. I don't agree with him when he says that "The sentence, with its narrow typographical confines, is a lonely place" since to me it is more like a wide open space with endless possibilities.
O_O ----> http://www.believermag.com/issues/200901/?read=article_lutz
In my childhood I was exposed to a lot of story-writing since my grandmother, who used to be a journalist, had dedicated herself to writing children's books and once in a while she would write short stories for fun. She used to teach me songs and words and since my parents decided to raise me speaking spanish first, she gave me my share of english every once in a while. I used to brag to my dad by sitting down with any storybook and reading out loud to him.
I have come to realize through my few years of writing that style is a very important, if not the most important, part of writing. There are no printed rules about style and authors can play with it however they please. Style gives identity to the story and leaves a little bit of the author behind in every piece. "the words have to lean on each other, rub elbows, rub off on each other, feel each other up" (Lutz) When you write you want people to remember what you said because maybe you were lucky enough to cause an impact by putting ideas under a new light. I personally try to really carefully choose my words and the order they should go in, I love to play with adjectives because that is how you really get to show unusual ways of showing things.
"The content words comprise the nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and most verbs: they are carriers of information and suppliers of sensory evidence." (Lutz)
I think Lutz managed to give a great description of how writing feels like. I don't agree with him when he says that "The sentence, with its narrow typographical confines, is a lonely place" since to me it is more like a wide open space with endless possibilities.
O_O ----> http://www.believermag.com/issues/200901/?read=article_lutz
jueves, 19 de noviembre de 2009
The Crying of Lot 49: Oedipa's invisible layers (3)
I know it sound terrible but I've been trying to label/classify Oedipa since the beginning of the book. Usually most characters in novels fit into a stereotype, and the reason behind Oedipa's uniqueness is not that she has a lot of traits, but rather the lack of any. She doesn't talk in a certain way or dress in a certain style to give us hints of what kind of person she is. She goes from being completely dull to being hilariously odd. I couldn't describe her in one word because no words would come to mind.
Another character that bugs me is Metzeger: he is not funny, handsome or even really nice. He might have a pretty face but his belly is gross and he's old and there's just something unlikeable about him. It might be part of the satire to make the lover some fugly lawyer though...
As for the plot, it is way too confusing for it's own good. I cant understand what;s going on because there is no connections between one event and the next, it's like action jump from here to there like pop corn kernels in a pot. I like how he author foreshadows a lot because it makes the suspense rise and I love that in books.
Another character that bugs me is Metzeger: he is not funny, handsome or even really nice. He might have a pretty face but his belly is gross and he's old and there's just something unlikeable about him. It might be part of the satire to make the lover some fugly lawyer though...
As for the plot, it is way too confusing for it's own good. I cant understand what;s going on because there is no connections between one event and the next, it's like action jump from here to there like pop corn kernels in a pot. I like how he author foreshadows a lot because it makes the suspense rise and I love that in books.
lunes, 16 de noviembre de 2009
The Crying of Lot 49: Cheese (2)
A great example of a book I'd gladly light on fire (if it wasn't for the unnecessary CO2 emissions) is Twilight. The plot is a mess, the dialogue is dripping with cheese and the characters are insanely bipolar (not to mention that by the end they all drift into the same personality).
Usually my least favorite kind of novel is the romantic kind, I've only read one of that type that I liked: 'Crooked' by Laura and Tom McNeal. It's not like the mainstream romantic novels, and even although I would read it again, I have to admit it does a great job at keeping you entertained. My favorite part was when that one guy picked up a rabbit and used it to beat up that other guy (good thing it's just a book or else I'd cry for the rabbit).
The Crying of Lot 49 has a perception of romance. In a typical kissing scene both characters are in love with each other and have lived for this moment, not to mention they're both good looking (ahem Bella and Edward). Metzger has a pretty face but also middle-aged man belly and Oedipa is not the typical damsel in distress and is temporarily transformed into a beach ball, the the romantic scene between those two is further from being romantic than it is from being gross.
Usually my least favorite kind of novel is the romantic kind, I've only read one of that type that I liked: 'Crooked' by Laura and Tom McNeal. It's not like the mainstream romantic novels, and even although I would read it again, I have to admit it does a great job at keeping you entertained. My favorite part was when that one guy picked up a rabbit and used it to beat up that other guy (good thing it's just a book or else I'd cry for the rabbit).
The Crying of Lot 49 has a perception of romance. In a typical kissing scene both characters are in love with each other and have lived for this moment, not to mention they're both good looking (ahem Bella and Edward). Metzger has a pretty face but also middle-aged man belly and Oedipa is not the typical damsel in distress and is temporarily transformed into a beach ball, the the romantic scene between those two is further from being romantic than it is from being gross.
Crying of Lot 49:Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (1)
I still remember how my grandma freaked out when she found out what that song was really about.
So the book is situated between the 50's or 60's, meaning the big bang of drugs is starting to or about to start to happen, but that doesn't matter since LSD has been around sing the late 1930's. My dad once told me the story of how LSD was invented and how it was meant to be used for medical purposes, but what caught my attention most was how the scientist who invented it felt the effect for the first time himself when he got high by mistake. He took a small amount but underestimated the effect it would cause and went home in his bicycle and called a doctor thinking he was ill, not intoxicated.
Not long ago there was a debate on wether the personal dosage of marijuana should be allowed in Colombia for those who used it for medicinal purposes. If I'm not wrong, pretty soon it will be legal to carry around a small bag with weed around as long as it's not too much and something just tells me that a leakage in the system will happen. It wouldn't be the first time teenagers squeeze around the law to get away with being cool, fake I.D.s are a great example of this: they're like a backstage pass into the adult world and these silly runts cant their hands off them.
No matter how much they forbid people form getting their hands on certain substances there's is virtually no possible way of doing so completely. We're just that smart.
So the book is situated between the 50's or 60's, meaning the big bang of drugs is starting to or about to start to happen, but that doesn't matter since LSD has been around sing the late 1930's. My dad once told me the story of how LSD was invented and how it was meant to be used for medical purposes, but what caught my attention most was how the scientist who invented it felt the effect for the first time himself when he got high by mistake. He took a small amount but underestimated the effect it would cause and went home in his bicycle and called a doctor thinking he was ill, not intoxicated.
Not long ago there was a debate on wether the personal dosage of marijuana should be allowed in Colombia for those who used it for medicinal purposes. If I'm not wrong, pretty soon it will be legal to carry around a small bag with weed around as long as it's not too much and something just tells me that a leakage in the system will happen. It wouldn't be the first time teenagers squeeze around the law to get away with being cool, fake I.D.s are a great example of this: they're like a backstage pass into the adult world and these silly runts cant their hands off them.
No matter how much they forbid people form getting their hands on certain substances there's is virtually no possible way of doing so completely. We're just that smart.
domingo, 25 de octubre de 2009
The Selfish Gene: "Your eyes are like two twinkling... puddles of mud" (3)
“The gene for brown eyes is dominant for the gene for blue eyes.” (Dawkins 26)
Here’s the thing, out of my four grandparents, three had blue eyes, one had green eyes and one had brown eyes: that makes three with light eyes against one with dark eyes. My mom has brown eyes and my dad has blue eyes. Both my dad’s parent had blue eyes so it makes sense that he would have them too. My mom’s mom had green eyes and my grandfather had brown eyes, and unluckily yet understandably, my mom has brown eyes. Now, my mom guessed I was going to have light eyes… and damn I wish she was right.
When I was a kid, about five years old, I always told people my eyes were blue. Around the age of seven I understood it wasn’t true and finally admitted my eyes were brown… but they were GOING to turn blue later on. When I finally stepped out of denial and realized I was a brown-eyed girl, I was up for anything to make my eyes blue, which was a good thing for my mom.
According to my mom my eyes would only turn blue if I ate my veggies, did my homework and cleaned my room. It was a lot of hard work only to go through about another year of maturity and then learn that it was virtually impossible for my eyes to become blue.
“My name is Kristie and I’m in AA because my eyes are brown”
Here’s the thing, out of my four grandparents, three had blue eyes, one had green eyes and one had brown eyes: that makes three with light eyes against one with dark eyes. My mom has brown eyes and my dad has blue eyes. Both my dad’s parent had blue eyes so it makes sense that he would have them too. My mom’s mom had green eyes and my grandfather had brown eyes, and unluckily yet understandably, my mom has brown eyes. Now, my mom guessed I was going to have light eyes… and damn I wish she was right.
When I was a kid, about five years old, I always told people my eyes were blue. Around the age of seven I understood it wasn’t true and finally admitted my eyes were brown… but they were GOING to turn blue later on. When I finally stepped out of denial and realized I was a brown-eyed girl, I was up for anything to make my eyes blue, which was a good thing for my mom.
According to my mom my eyes would only turn blue if I ate my veggies, did my homework and cleaned my room. It was a lot of hard work only to go through about another year of maturity and then learn that it was virtually impossible for my eyes to become blue.
“My name is Kristie and I’m in AA because my eyes are brown”
The selfish Gene: "Shark" (1&2)
I’ve never been really sure of what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was still a little girl I stared to develop a fascination for things such as ghosts and sharks. I spent most of my time looking into either subject and watching videos and recordings, but then I eventually got bored and returned for my fascination for Barbies. It wasn’t until about two ears ago that I went scuba diving for the first time that I fell for sharks again. I saw a couple of nurse sharks just sitting there quietly but I was drawn to them almost instantly. They were rather large and had the liberty to simply turn around and bite my hand off, but the simply lay there and stared back.
I remember sitting with my dad on a weekend and watching the videos he had taken when he was younger during his diving trips. He used to love it: he even got in a cage with great whites and swam along with a whale shark. He stopped when I was born because he simply couldn’t afford to take such risks anymore, but he’ll never deny that he would be more than glad to jump right back in that cage to watch those amazing beasts.
When I think about what I want to do when I grow up I usually think about going for something I enjoy doing or something to help others but lately I have a growing grudge against the human race and it’s destructive nature, so I decided that it was enough with the people and what I want to help with is animals. “If I say that I’m more interested in preventing the slaughter of large whales than I am in improving human conditions for people, I am likely to shock some of my friends.” (Dawkins 9) I have done my research and I came across a man named Paul Watson, who is technically a pirate. This man will break the law in order to save whales from being haunted by Japanese ships and I think he should be praised for risking his life for the cause. Not many people realize what is going on and I’ve even heard someone say “overpopulation of the wrong fish” when referring to the murder of sharks for their fins.
It really makes me sad when people lack the heart (and the brain) to know that it is wring and that it is simply stupid to keep on doing it. There is something that prevents us from realizing that drowning sharks by cutting off their fins is torture and that is it just as bad as if it was done to one of us. I believe it might be biology that build that wall in our comprehension, but lets face it, its nothing that can’t be fixed.
I remember sitting with my dad on a weekend and watching the videos he had taken when he was younger during his diving trips. He used to love it: he even got in a cage with great whites and swam along with a whale shark. He stopped when I was born because he simply couldn’t afford to take such risks anymore, but he’ll never deny that he would be more than glad to jump right back in that cage to watch those amazing beasts.
When I think about what I want to do when I grow up I usually think about going for something I enjoy doing or something to help others but lately I have a growing grudge against the human race and it’s destructive nature, so I decided that it was enough with the people and what I want to help with is animals. “If I say that I’m more interested in preventing the slaughter of large whales than I am in improving human conditions for people, I am likely to shock some of my friends.” (Dawkins 9) I have done my research and I came across a man named Paul Watson, who is technically a pirate. This man will break the law in order to save whales from being haunted by Japanese ships and I think he should be praised for risking his life for the cause. Not many people realize what is going on and I’ve even heard someone say “overpopulation of the wrong fish” when referring to the murder of sharks for their fins.
It really makes me sad when people lack the heart (and the brain) to know that it is wring and that it is simply stupid to keep on doing it. There is something that prevents us from realizing that drowning sharks by cutting off their fins is torture and that is it just as bad as if it was done to one of us. I believe it might be biology that build that wall in our comprehension, but lets face it, its nothing that can’t be fixed.
Candide:"Ya feel me?" (Final)
"that a man's soul is tested in the freedom to choose evil or good and is perfected by suffering" (Voltaire 8)
I started and finished the book by the introduction. After reading it, the rest of the book was such a disappointment since the actual beauty of Voltaire's writing lies in how he can express his intentions (in most cases sarcastic) on ink and paper. There is a passage from that starts at the begging of page eight and ends at the very top of page nine, too long to quote word by word, but definitely something that shouldn't be overlooked. I enjoyed reading his views on Catholicism so much because he doesn't use 'The God Argument' but instead he aims at how shamelessly religion preaches about all kinds of suffering when the preacher might not even know what suffering is. If the book was written by those who had to face death, hunger, pain and cold it would be something almost entirely different.
"Event he Christian doctrine of purification by suffering can be made to sound callous by a preacher who does not know what suffering means" (Voltaire 9)
I wasn't really raised to believe anything in particular, but given the choice to stick to a doctrine i would chose none, I've been told I am an agnostic, but i don't even know what the word means so i cant really relate to it.
I'd rather keep my opinions on the book to the minimum since they varied a lot thoughout the journey, but I wholeheartedly advise anybody who reads Candide to take a minute and read the introduction, because it was there that i found the most enjoyable page-and-a-bit of the book.
I started and finished the book by the introduction. After reading it, the rest of the book was such a disappointment since the actual beauty of Voltaire's writing lies in how he can express his intentions (in most cases sarcastic) on ink and paper. There is a passage from that starts at the begging of page eight and ends at the very top of page nine, too long to quote word by word, but definitely something that shouldn't be overlooked. I enjoyed reading his views on Catholicism so much because he doesn't use 'The God Argument' but instead he aims at how shamelessly religion preaches about all kinds of suffering when the preacher might not even know what suffering is. If the book was written by those who had to face death, hunger, pain and cold it would be something almost entirely different.
"Event he Christian doctrine of purification by suffering can be made to sound callous by a preacher who does not know what suffering means" (Voltaire 9)
I wasn't really raised to believe anything in particular, but given the choice to stick to a doctrine i would chose none, I've been told I am an agnostic, but i don't even know what the word means so i cant really relate to it.
I'd rather keep my opinions on the book to the minimum since they varied a lot thoughout the journey, but I wholeheartedly advise anybody who reads Candide to take a minute and read the introduction, because it was there that i found the most enjoyable page-and-a-bit of the book.
lunes, 19 de octubre de 2009
Candide: Bring It On (14-16)
Voltaire strikes again, now he brings along Cunégonde's brother's blood past with him. As if lying on a pile of dead boys and having his eyes burnt with salt holy water (absurd much?) wasn't enough, the young man barely lived long enough to receive news on his sister. The young man loses control of his manners and his temper and slaps Candide across the face with his sword as a sign of disagreement towards his engagement to Cunégonde for which he is sliced to death by Candide himself.
It is such outbreaks of rage that puzzle me so much about human nature. The inability to keep out emotions under control remains a mystery to me: ever aspect of us, even seemingly illogical love or hatred towards someone, can be explained with our biological needs. I understand that maybe the inclusion of a weapon in the equation might've caused Candide's instinct to spark and caused him to defend himself, but it still makes no sense that someone with Candide's loving, peaceful personality would all go down the drain in the blink of an eye.
Candide's change from being calm and collected to being a murderer might be part of the satirical aspect of the novel. I have found many characters to be far from what their fellow characters think them to be (Pangloss is a good example), but I still don't find any reason why this would add to the humor in the novel.
“Murder is always a mistake - one should never do anything one cannot talk about after dinner”- Oscar Wilde
Lovely eh?
It is such outbreaks of rage that puzzle me so much about human nature. The inability to keep out emotions under control remains a mystery to me: ever aspect of us, even seemingly illogical love or hatred towards someone, can be explained with our biological needs. I understand that maybe the inclusion of a weapon in the equation might've caused Candide's instinct to spark and caused him to defend himself, but it still makes no sense that someone with Candide's loving, peaceful personality would all go down the drain in the blink of an eye.
Candide's change from being calm and collected to being a murderer might be part of the satirical aspect of the novel. I have found many characters to be far from what their fellow characters think them to be (Pangloss is a good example), but I still don't find any reason why this would add to the humor in the novel.
“Murder is always a mistake - one should never do anything one cannot talk about after dinner”- Oscar Wilde
Lovely eh?
jueves, 15 de octubre de 2009
Candide: The missing Piece (12-13)
Voltaire has a sadistic ambition for creating the most misfortunate female character of all times. After putting a lot of effort on Cunegonde, he decided it wasn't enough and aimed for something even more heart-breaking. The old lady's story is so much more terrible that it took two chapter to tell, and not only that, but the hag has a permanent reminder of the events: a missing butt cheek.
We are just lucky that "somehow [she is] still in love with life" (Voltaire 57) and she still looks at the bright side by claiming that she is "a woman of experience: I know the world" (Voltaire 57).
At the very end of the chapter the old lady says something that really caught my attention: "Just amuse yourself, persuade each passenger to tell you his story, and if you find even one who has not often cursed his life and told himself that he is the most miserable man alive, you can throw me into the sea head first." (Voltaire 57) I think by now every single on of us is guilty of self-pity. Self-pity is one of my pet peeves, it really annoys me when people complain about problem nobody else cares about, but i simply can't stand it when the don't do anything about it. I find it a complete waste of time when someone whines about something but refuses to even attempt to fix the problem.
If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it. -Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book
Quote found on:http://www.quotegarden.com/
We are just lucky that "somehow [she is] still in love with life" (Voltaire 57) and she still looks at the bright side by claiming that she is "a woman of experience: I know the world" (Voltaire 57).
At the very end of the chapter the old lady says something that really caught my attention: "Just amuse yourself, persuade each passenger to tell you his story, and if you find even one who has not often cursed his life and told himself that he is the most miserable man alive, you can throw me into the sea head first." (Voltaire 57) I think by now every single on of us is guilty of self-pity. Self-pity is one of my pet peeves, it really annoys me when people complain about problem nobody else cares about, but i simply can't stand it when the don't do anything about it. I find it a complete waste of time when someone whines about something but refuses to even attempt to fix the problem.
If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it. -Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book
Quote found on:http://www.quotegarden.com/
miércoles, 7 de octubre de 2009
Candide: Wee Woo Wee Woo (9-11)
As I read this chapter something was bothering me, and then I realized what it was: "what will happen to us now? A man killed in my house! If the police come, we are done for"(Voltaire 45). Don't get it still? Read it again.
If you still don't get it, the sentence simply doesn't make sense: how are the police going to know that the man is dead at her house? It's not like an alarm goes off every time a person dies to call the police to look into it (although it would be useful).
If there were an alarm though, it would be rather annoying since people die every second of the day (cant they just stay alive?). That thing would be going off all day long, in fact, murderers might stop just shut the damn thing up!
I just had to get that off my chest.
(By the way, the police do come right after the heroes leave... that's a double no-sense)
P.S.: "who could have robbed me of my moidores and diamonds?" (Voltaire 46) I feel her pain, I hate it when things get stolen from me, I should spray everything I own with that itchy scratchy powder (you know, just to make them suffer the consequences).
If you still don't get it, the sentence simply doesn't make sense: how are the police going to know that the man is dead at her house? It's not like an alarm goes off every time a person dies to call the police to look into it (although it would be useful).
If there were an alarm though, it would be rather annoying since people die every second of the day (cant they just stay alive?). That thing would be going off all day long, in fact, murderers might stop just shut the damn thing up!
I just had to get that off my chest.
(By the way, the police do come right after the heroes leave... that's a double no-sense)
P.S.: "who could have robbed me of my moidores and diamonds?" (Voltaire 46) I feel her pain, I hate it when things get stolen from me, I should spray everything I own with that itchy scratchy powder (you know, just to make them suffer the consequences).
Candide: Like, Oh Mah Gawd, Disembowelment (7&8)
I shall beg Lady Cunégonde to teach us the secret of how to survive disembowellment. Before I knew what that word meant i supposed she had really indeed suffered from minor violent acts, but no, she's just that perfect, apparently "people don't always die of those mishaps"
In the list of modern-day cause-effect situations, right above "If you lend your cellphone to a stranger he/she will take off" it says, "never sleep in a strangers house or she will steal you kidney". Unless Cunégonde is missing one kidney or one lung (or both), there is simply no way she is back in the story. This is ridiculous, ever since I watched Rosario Tijeras I like it better when characters stay dead.
I just cant seem to like Lady Cunégonde, like, ugh, she's complaining how they killed her brother and her mother and, like, her father and, like, everybody else around in like a bloody massacre, and I'm just like, oh my gawd, like, you're not the only one okay lady? like, honestly, who does she think she is?
"Candide [...] gazed at her the whole time in rapt attention, [and] did not miss a single world" wow... just... you sure he's not gay?
In the list of modern-day cause-effect situations, right above "If you lend your cellphone to a stranger he/she will take off" it says, "never sleep in a strangers house or she will steal you kidney". Unless Cunégonde is missing one kidney or one lung (or both), there is simply no way she is back in the story. This is ridiculous, ever since I watched Rosario Tijeras I like it better when characters stay dead.
I just cant seem to like Lady Cunégonde, like, ugh, she's complaining how they killed her brother and her mother and, like, her father and, like, everybody else around in like a bloody massacre, and I'm just like, oh my gawd, like, you're not the only one okay lady? like, honestly, who does she think she is?
"Candide [...] gazed at her the whole time in rapt attention, [and] did not miss a single world" wow... just... you sure he's not gay?
Cadide: Reason Shmeason (5&6)
"I am a sailor and was born in Batavia. I have had to trample on the crucifix four time in various trips I've been to Japan. I am not the man for you Universal Reason!" (Voltaire 34)
What Universal reason? Pangloss is the most mediocre metaphisico-theologo-cosmolo-nigo-logist ever. At the begging of the book, when he explains that everything happens for a reason I actually came to believe Pangloss was a worthy philosopher, but once he went on to talk about the explanation behind his theory I was disappointed to the verge of laughter. We do not have noses to put glasses upon and he do not have feet shaped so they'll fit in shoes, quite the opposite actually. I might even dare say I'm glad Voltaire got rid of this ghastly man for once and for all... might.
*"Flogging - whipping: beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment"
"Auto-da-fe:the burning to death of heretics"
It feels good to learn new words.
P.S. I found this: http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1RaPDx/www.pangloss.com//search:pangloss
... I'm not quite sure what it is though...
*definition from:wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
What Universal reason? Pangloss is the most mediocre metaphisico-theologo-cosmolo-nigo-logist ever. At the begging of the book, when he explains that everything happens for a reason I actually came to believe Pangloss was a worthy philosopher, but once he went on to talk about the explanation behind his theory I was disappointed to the verge of laughter. We do not have noses to put glasses upon and he do not have feet shaped so they'll fit in shoes, quite the opposite actually. I might even dare say I'm glad Voltaire got rid of this ghastly man for once and for all... might.
*"Flogging - whipping: beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment"
"Auto-da-fe:the burning to death of heretics"
It feels good to learn new words.
P.S. I found this: http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1RaPDx/www.pangloss.com//search:pangloss
... I'm not quite sure what it is though...
*definition from:wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
lunes, 5 de octubre de 2009
Candide: "The Good Old Cause" and the Good Old Effect (3&4)
I was well aware that because the book is satirical, it might have some dark humor in it, but I didn't expect the post-war scene in chapter three to be so gruesome. It described inch by inch the butchered bodies of the innocent victims of the battle with the king of Abars: "Whichever way he looked , the ground was strewn with the legs, arms, and brains of dead villagers."(Voltaire 26) I'm just glad he didn't make a joke out of that scene, it would've been sick.
I'm starting to think that the target of the book are the epic stereotypes: the damsel in distress, the hero and even the wise old man. When Candide escapes the battlefield and heads for the nearest town, he think himself lucky because he has reached a christian town, which is supposedly going to make it easier for him to find some help.
When he reaches the first house and the man behind the door askes Candide if he believes in "the Good Old Cause" Candide replies by quoting one of Panglos' reflections: "There is no effect without a cause [...] All thing are necessarily connected and arranged for the best."(Voltaire 26-27) He sounds so sure of himself we might actually think it makes sense... but it doesn't.
Candide is an idiot who has no idea what is going on in his life at the moment but he is our hero in the story and we must love him very much for that.
I'm starting to think that the target of the book are the epic stereotypes: the damsel in distress, the hero and even the wise old man. When Candide escapes the battlefield and heads for the nearest town, he think himself lucky because he has reached a christian town, which is supposedly going to make it easier for him to find some help.
When he reaches the first house and the man behind the door askes Candide if he believes in "the Good Old Cause" Candide replies by quoting one of Panglos' reflections: "There is no effect without a cause [...] All thing are necessarily connected and arranged for the best."(Voltaire 26-27) He sounds so sure of himself we might actually think it makes sense... but it doesn't.
Candide is an idiot who has no idea what is going on in his life at the moment but he is our hero in the story and we must love him very much for that.
Candide: About a Man With Luck (1&2)
In Candide it is difficult to find the humorous part because when you usually read a book you read to pick up the information wether it is an informative article or a story line, but in Candide you have to slow down so you ca pick up on when to not trust what lies on the page.
As Voltaire mentions as he describes the of Westphalia: "The Baron was one of the most influential noblemen in Westphalia, for his house had a door and several windows and his hall was actually draped with tapestry" (Voltaire 19). What he is really saying is that one of the men of highest prestige in the town is considered to have luxury simply because his house has windows and doors and hid floors are carpeted. It is all in the tone, Voltaire writes it as it is meant to be something that might impress us, and we actually get that feeling until we realize that the house is only "impressive" in comparison since the house stands in the middle of Westphalia, or rather, a dump.
It is a very tedious book if you read it without stopping to realize how comedy is hidden between the words, if you don't think it over, you might just think it is a very boring book about a man with luck.
As Voltaire mentions as he describes the of Westphalia: "The Baron was one of the most influential noblemen in Westphalia, for his house had a door and several windows and his hall was actually draped with tapestry" (Voltaire 19). What he is really saying is that one of the men of highest prestige in the town is considered to have luxury simply because his house has windows and doors and hid floors are carpeted. It is all in the tone, Voltaire writes it as it is meant to be something that might impress us, and we actually get that feeling until we realize that the house is only "impressive" in comparison since the house stands in the middle of Westphalia, or rather, a dump.
It is a very tedious book if you read it without stopping to realize how comedy is hidden between the words, if you don't think it over, you might just think it is a very boring book about a man with luck.
domingo, 4 de octubre de 2009
Handbook of Epictetus: FIRE! (26-30)
Epictetus said: "Just as target is not set up to be missed, in the same way nothing bad by nature happens in the world" (Epcitetus 10), and I agree.
Whenever someone is bad, he or she is bad by mistake. We might say that if a child is born into a hateful family then the child was born to be bad as well, but also, if we fire a shot terribly, then we are bound to miss the target. I think Epictetus used a great example to communicate and summarize his theory of good and bad people.
When baby is born, it depends on the adults in charge of him to take care of him and teach him the ways of life, in other words, everyone's shot was fired by whoever was in charge of us when we were learning and it is very difficult to change the fate of the missile once it is in mid air. At the same time, if the missile is deviated, it is hard for it to shoot another missile in the right direction just the same.
How can we be good or bad if we don't know the difference between either?
Whenever someone is bad, he or she is bad by mistake. We might say that if a child is born into a hateful family then the child was born to be bad as well, but also, if we fire a shot terribly, then we are bound to miss the target. I think Epictetus used a great example to communicate and summarize his theory of good and bad people.
When baby is born, it depends on the adults in charge of him to take care of him and teach him the ways of life, in other words, everyone's shot was fired by whoever was in charge of us when we were learning and it is very difficult to change the fate of the missile once it is in mid air. At the same time, if the missile is deviated, it is hard for it to shoot another missile in the right direction just the same.
How can we be good or bad if we don't know the difference between either?
Handbook of Epictetus: Good and Bad (21-25)
"Let death and exile and everything that is terrible appear before your eyes every day, especially death, and you will never have anything contemptible in your thought or crave anything excessively" (Epictetus 9)
If we keep avoiding everything that is bad then we will live in a bubble where everything is good, but it is not reality. We need to face problems in order to be aware of what other people are going through and how reality is. If we let death happen before our eyes instead of looking away, then we learn how to cope better. It is all a matter of welcoming everything, good or bad, death belonging to both sides.
If we keep avoiding everything that is bad then we will live in a bubble where everything is good, but it is not reality. We need to face problems in order to be aware of what other people are going through and how reality is. If we let death happen before our eyes instead of looking away, then we learn how to cope better. It is all a matter of welcoming everything, good or bad, death belonging to both sides.
Handbook of Epictetus: Take a Chill Pill (11-20)
As much as I disagree with Epictetus that you should expect the worst from everyone and everything, I do agree with him that you should welcome everything as it comes. I think they should publish this handbook and put it up to sale everywhere in the big cities, because it is usually the hectic modern people who need this kind of advise the most. It is easy to read and doesn't take very long, but it says a lot and leaves behind plenty to think about.
"It is better to die of hunger with distress and fear gone than to live upset in the midst of plenty" (Epictetus 8) Epictetus talks about something many people suffer from nowadays. Since we have been taught that money solves any issue we might have then we gather it like there's is nothing else to live for. My own daddy has fallen for this: he has a beautiful house with a beautiful dog and a beautiful, smart and charming daughter, but he still is not satisfied. He wants boats and motorcycles and cars and many other big-boy toys he doesn't need but he think will make him happy at the cost of his current slavery to his company.Like Epictetus claims:"Whoever wants to be free, therefore, let him not want or avoid anything that is up to others" (Epictetus 8) my daddy should take a holiday at the beach and flush his blackberry down the toilet.
"It is better to die of hunger with distress and fear gone than to live upset in the midst of plenty" (Epictetus 8) Epictetus talks about something many people suffer from nowadays. Since we have been taught that money solves any issue we might have then we gather it like there's is nothing else to live for. My own daddy has fallen for this: he has a beautiful house with a beautiful dog and a beautiful, smart and charming daughter, but he still is not satisfied. He wants boats and motorcycles and cars and many other big-boy toys he doesn't need but he think will make him happy at the cost of his current slavery to his company.Like Epictetus claims:"Whoever wants to be free, therefore, let him not want or avoid anything that is up to others" (Epictetus 8) my daddy should take a holiday at the beach and flush his blackberry down the toilet.
domingo, 27 de septiembre de 2009
Handbook of Epictetus: Handbook of Daddy (1-10)
I think I finally found where my dad gets all his Blah Blah from! He's always telling me not to cry, to be strong and to be ready for deception, but what's the fun in that? I believe in living life as it comes, not expecting anything but to adapting to everything, too. I do agree with Epictetus that death is not serious, that judgement is more important than we think it is and that taking pride in something that we didn't create is simply pathetic. What he is telling us is how to live a happy life, and that is, by not wanting a happy life: "for the time being eliminate desire completely,since if you desire something that is not up to you, you are bound to be unfortunate."(Epictetus7)
So wise. I'm not going to argue against it, because he's right and he's old and he wears togas therefore he must be right. I just wouldn't want to live m life the way he proposes, because I believe negative experiences are what make you appreciate lovely surprises better.
So wise. I'm not going to argue against it, because he's right and he's old and he wears togas therefore he must be right. I just wouldn't want to live m life the way he proposes, because I believe negative experiences are what make you appreciate lovely surprises better.
domingo, 20 de septiembre de 2009
Slaughterhouse-Five: Cancer (10)
"The Earthling figure who is most engaging to the Tralfamadorian mind, he says, is Charles Darwin-who taught that those who die are meant to die, that corpses are
improvements." (Vonnegut 74)
Disregarding what the Tralfamadorians represent, disregarding if they are real or not, they are very similar to what my ideal person would be like in his or her mind. They are smart, intolerant to ignorance and objective. They don't get caught up in something as unimportant as somebody else's death, and don't consider Jesus a miracle-man but a man with beliefs (and worship Darwin's theory instead ♥).
I can't get my head around what went wrong, but I can tell you that us humans have over-stayed our welcome. Maybe we're just too smart for our own good, but certainly we don't belong here and don't deserve to as much as we do for our own use if we refuse to grow up on the inside.
The world is dying of cancer. It' balding, it's surface is turning gray and ashy, it is chapped and dry and slowly but steadily collapsing on the inside: all because of us. People who have cancer get it from living in a cancer-infested world: it's no surprise. It's good that we die and we kill each other, nothing will get rid of us as fast as ourselves. It sounds macabre but maybe it's only because we think we're important and we make a difference and we can change everything, but it's not true. Blinded by all this it is easy to understand why some people hang on to life so dearly.
I bawled like a child for an hour and a half straight this summer while I watched My Sister's Keeper. The whole movie is based on a girl who is dying of cancer and the struggles that arise from that: everyone around Kate tells her to hang on and live, but all she wants is to get it over with and die. She was dead all along, a walking corpse, bald and cold, not able to eat like everybody else, and unable to do something as generic as going to the beach. I feel like she was being tortured by being kept alive, that shows how ridiculous people can be, so self-important.
If only we had Tralfamadrian intellect we would realize the only way to fix it all is by not being so selfish and annihilating the human race one way or another. And then cremate the bodies with flamethrowers.
So it goes.
improvements." (Vonnegut 74)
Disregarding what the Tralfamadorians represent, disregarding if they are real or not, they are very similar to what my ideal person would be like in his or her mind. They are smart, intolerant to ignorance and objective. They don't get caught up in something as unimportant as somebody else's death, and don't consider Jesus a miracle-man but a man with beliefs (and worship Darwin's theory instead ♥).
I can't get my head around what went wrong, but I can tell you that us humans have over-stayed our welcome. Maybe we're just too smart for our own good, but certainly we don't belong here and don't deserve to as much as we do for our own use if we refuse to grow up on the inside.
The world is dying of cancer. It' balding, it's surface is turning gray and ashy, it is chapped and dry and slowly but steadily collapsing on the inside: all because of us. People who have cancer get it from living in a cancer-infested world: it's no surprise. It's good that we die and we kill each other, nothing will get rid of us as fast as ourselves. It sounds macabre but maybe it's only because we think we're important and we make a difference and we can change everything, but it's not true. Blinded by all this it is easy to understand why some people hang on to life so dearly.
I bawled like a child for an hour and a half straight this summer while I watched My Sister's Keeper. The whole movie is based on a girl who is dying of cancer and the struggles that arise from that: everyone around Kate tells her to hang on and live, but all she wants is to get it over with and die. She was dead all along, a walking corpse, bald and cold, not able to eat like everybody else, and unable to do something as generic as going to the beach. I feel like she was being tortured by being kept alive, that shows how ridiculous people can be, so self-important.
If only we had Tralfamadrian intellect we would realize the only way to fix it all is by not being so selfish and annihilating the human race one way or another. And then cremate the bodies with flamethrowers.
So it goes.
jueves, 17 de septiembre de 2009
Slaughterhouse-five: Listen to the Barbara (9)
Event though i have a strong opinion of Valencia's ridiculously unfortunate death, I decided to discuss something far more important.
When Billy walk into the bookstore and sees Kilgore Trout's book, it really made me wonder where it was all going, because even if we suppose Billy knew the book and all is delusions were based on a mixture of a handful of events, then we could say Billy's daughter Barbara was right when she said the Tralfamadorian kidnap on her wedding was caused by Trout.
My educated guess clams that Billy lost his mind during war and has the illusion that he became "unstuck in time" because his memories have all become tangled with one another and broken into unrecognizable fragments. I suppose Billy looks like an ordinary crazy man on the outside, and that outside in which we're in influences him and influences his corrupted thoughts. I think Billy can just look at a picture of a strange woman and think he knows and he'll probably "remember" where he met her and "know" what she's like.
I can't trust anything i've read up until now because clearly Billy is insane and untrustworthy, I just wish i knew what was going on!
When Billy walk into the bookstore and sees Kilgore Trout's book, it really made me wonder where it was all going, because even if we suppose Billy knew the book and all is delusions were based on a mixture of a handful of events, then we could say Billy's daughter Barbara was right when she said the Tralfamadorian kidnap on her wedding was caused by Trout.
My educated guess clams that Billy lost his mind during war and has the illusion that he became "unstuck in time" because his memories have all become tangled with one another and broken into unrecognizable fragments. I suppose Billy looks like an ordinary crazy man on the outside, and that outside in which we're in influences him and influences his corrupted thoughts. I think Billy can just look at a picture of a strange woman and think he knows and he'll probably "remember" where he met her and "know" what she's like.
I can't trust anything i've read up until now because clearly Billy is insane and untrustworthy, I just wish i knew what was going on!
Slaughterhouse-five: Campbell, Immaboringgeek Campbell (8)
Campbell reminds me of a silly man I met once: he was very tall and fat and had a bright red face. It would irritate me how he would keep telling me and my dad how great "Amurrika" was since he found out we were foreigners.
Campbell sound like that kind of man, not only does he have a freakish obsession with his country but he's also convinced that we're interested on what he's saying. But don't get me wrong, it applies to everybody from everywhere. It also irritates me when anybody has and obsession with their country, some people call it "nationalism" but it think its some kind of secret brain-washing technique.
I literally rolled my eyes when Campbell the American was reciting this cheap prose as if it actually meant something,''Blue is for the American sky,[...] White is for the race that pioneered the continent, drained the swamps and cleared the forests and built the roads and bridges. Red is for the blood of American patriots which was she so gladly in years gone by.''(Vonnegut 58) and not even his own american peers could stand it since his "audience was sleepy" (Vonnegut 58).
P.S.: did you know that apparently Amurrika has the best...
Campbell sound like that kind of man, not only does he have a freakish obsession with his country but he's also convinced that we're interested on what he's saying. But don't get me wrong, it applies to everybody from everywhere. It also irritates me when anybody has and obsession with their country, some people call it "nationalism" but it think its some kind of secret brain-washing technique.
I literally rolled my eyes when Campbell the American was reciting this cheap prose as if it actually meant something,''Blue is for the American sky,[...] White is for the race that pioneered the continent, drained the swamps and cleared the forests and built the roads and bridges. Red is for the blood of American patriots which was she so gladly in years gone by.''(Vonnegut 58) and not even his own american peers could stand it since his "audience was sleepy" (Vonnegut 58).
P.S.: did you know that apparently Amurrika has the best...
martes, 15 de septiembre de 2009
i ♥ u !@#$%&*
THIS is what is will be talking about before I confuse anybody: http://david-crystal.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-insults-or-not.html
So I looked hard for a blog that would spark some kind of inspiration in me, but failing terribly at it I just decided to at least write about something interesting. As a twenty-first century teenager I must swear at least ten googillion (I know it's not a real number) times a day, because it has simply turned into part of the slang. I must insult my friends in order for them to know I love them, call them &*!(#, (^?$, and $!^% amongst others regularly. Even though it might sound idiotic, I'm far from being the only one, insults don't mean what they used to, now they're just another way to socialize, to the left of shaking hands and right above smiling.
Just like David Crystal said, it can be rather confusing for some most of the time. When you're dealing with someone who doesn't know you, then they might think you actually mean what you said, and that can lead to trouble. It's very a very quirky deal with these friendly insult because you must be careful who you're dealing with. It's all in the TONE.
So I looked hard for a blog that would spark some kind of inspiration in me, but failing terribly at it I just decided to at least write about something interesting. As a twenty-first century teenager I must swear at least ten googillion (I know it's not a real number) times a day, because it has simply turned into part of the slang. I must insult my friends in order for them to know I love them, call them &*!(#, (^?$, and $!^% amongst others regularly. Even though it might sound idiotic, I'm far from being the only one, insults don't mean what they used to, now they're just another way to socialize, to the left of shaking hands and right above smiling.
Just like David Crystal said, it can be rather confusing for some most of the time. When you're dealing with someone who doesn't know you, then they might think you actually mean what you said, and that can lead to trouble. It's very a very quirky deal with these friendly insult because you must be careful who you're dealing with. It's all in the TONE.
lunes, 14 de septiembre de 2009
Slaughterhouse-five: Holy Schlachthof-fünf (7)
I really want a hard copy of the book for myself (yes, I'm reading it on Adobe) so i can highlight the quotes I like.
Int his chapter in particular I could see Billy's childish side. I thought it was adorable how when they open the door, all the naked women are screaming while "there in the doorway were Gluck and Derby and Pilgrim-the childish soldier and the poor old high school teacher and the clown in his toga and silver shoes-staring" (Vonnegut 56).
Even though it is rather sad that the men sneak in to steal some syrup, the idea that they are eating stolen pregnant-lady food is simply endearing. It's just as if all these men where just innocent, silly children on the inside, who can weep over a spoonful of sweet goop.
I still can't get over the fact that Billy survived a plane crash... it just seems so surreal.
Int his chapter in particular I could see Billy's childish side. I thought it was adorable how when they open the door, all the naked women are screaming while "there in the doorway were Gluck and Derby and Pilgrim-the childish soldier and the poor old high school teacher and the clown in his toga and silver shoes-staring" (Vonnegut 56).
Even though it is rather sad that the men sneak in to steal some syrup, the idea that they are eating stolen pregnant-lady food is simply endearing. It's just as if all these men where just innocent, silly children on the inside, who can weep over a spoonful of sweet goop.
I still can't get over the fact that Billy survived a plane crash... it just seems so surreal.
Slaughterhouse-five: Lazzaro's eyes twinkled (6)
Probably one of the most detestable characters of this book so far is Paul Lazzaro. Not only is he frighteningly bloodthirsty, but he tells the tale of how he mercilessly murdered a dog as if it was something to be proud of. Although "'Nobody ever got it from Lazzaro,[...]who didn't have it coming.'" (Vonnegut 50) I still believe the man had issues and was twice as violent as he was insane.
It might have been the war that made him that way, because so much blood and gore can really get to a man. Lazzaro has probably seen men die in seventy-six different ways and has witnessed limbs fall to the ground like over-sized snowflakes. There's no one close to me that has fought in a war but from what I've been told by books and Hollywood, It seems like something I would not like to have anything to do with, thankyouverymuch. I just cant really imagine anybody having such low morals as to resort to untamed, somewhat cannibalistic violence.
Billy and Lazzaro have something in common: they have been enslaved as weapons and detached from their senses.
It might have been the war that made him that way, because so much blood and gore can really get to a man. Lazzaro has probably seen men die in seventy-six different ways and has witnessed limbs fall to the ground like over-sized snowflakes. There's no one close to me that has fought in a war but from what I've been told by books and Hollywood, It seems like something I would not like to have anything to do with, thankyouverymuch. I just cant really imagine anybody having such low morals as to resort to untamed, somewhat cannibalistic violence.
Billy and Lazzaro have something in common: they have been enslaved as weapons and detached from their senses.
miércoles, 9 de septiembre de 2009
Slaughterhouse-Five: Tralfamadore (5)
I've never gotten so confused over a book in my life, this chapter simply tossed me around throughout the entire twentieth century. I was really confused about where he was standing at each part but little by little it all became clear. Billy had been kidnapped by his good friends the Tralfamadorians and learns about them and about his own human race at the same time. "There were fives sexes on Tralfamadore, each of them performing a step necessary in the creation of a new individual."(Vonnnegut 41). We can see a lot more about Billy's childhood and I think I have com to understand why he is the way he is "The cigarettes belonged to Billy's chain-smoking mother"(Vonnegut 37): that man has suffered trauma from the day he was born.
I was pretty damn sure Kurt Vonnegut was telling his own story through "Billy", i could have bet my life on it, but now I'm not so sure since Billy sees Kurt at the hospital which would be impossible if Billy WAS indeed Kurt. I'm not really sure what we're supposed to understand up to here, ther are many clues in the book but no solution to them. I'm really looking forward to finally being able to understand "who is Billy and why do we care about him?".
I was pretty damn sure Kurt Vonnegut was telling his own story through "Billy", i could have bet my life on it, but now I'm not so sure since Billy sees Kurt at the hospital which would be impossible if Billy WAS indeed Kurt. I'm not really sure what we're supposed to understand up to here, ther are many clues in the book but no solution to them. I'm really looking forward to finally being able to understand "who is Billy and why do we care about him?".
domingo, 6 de septiembre de 2009
Slaughterhouse-Five: Billy on Earth (4)
This chapter made me wonder the never-ending dilemma of wether we would really like to know more or just stay happily unsatisfied. The only reason this is such a mystery is because you never know when it might backfire: maybe its better to just stay where you are and play it safe, but that is no option for our good old Billy. You see, Billy can see what is going to happen therefore Vonnegut knows and thats why we know: because we're reading the book and the book says Billy shall be murdered. I feel sad already that Billy is going to die over such a tiny matter, I mean, who is this Roland Weary to say Billy killed him? Billy can time-travel and at first I thought that when he traveled to the past he was just taking a stroll through memory lane, that was until he saw the future (but Billy is crazy so I can never be completely sure, like i said before: he's not trustworthy). Even if i know Billy won't die just et and I know what he'll become after the war, the author still manages to reveal more and more information that we didn't even know we needed.
I like this book, i like it a lot. The author entertains me: not only is the story itself good, but the narration is (disturbing, yet) great.
BTW: i could find the 'beard guy's' name so if someone know what I'm talking about please let me know? :)
I like this book, i like it a lot. The author entertains me: not only is the story itself good, but the narration is (disturbing, yet) great.
BTW: i could find the 'beard guy's' name so if someone know what I'm talking about please let me know? :)
Slaughterhouse-Five: Billy and God (3)
Billy is such a silly man: he keeps jumping from the past to the present like an ADHD goat. Reading this chapter you can really realize how crazy and unstable he is and how it has taking him so long (little over half his life) to realize he has no control on his future. It seems like the fact that he grew up being a weakling really affected him and ended up reflecting on his personality. Although, it is perfectly understandable that he is having trouble, war must've affected him more than it would any other man, any other strong man. I feel like I can trust the events, because most likely it did happen that way, but I'm not sure how right Billy is when it comes to his view on such events. I don't feel like i can trust him, so I better just make an opinion of my own.
This book is crazy, not a typical one at all, but I'm starting to catch on the rhythm of things and beginning to understand them. That's good news.
BTW: I kinda feel like Billy is similar to that one character in lost... you know, the one with the beard? Too bad I cant remember his name.
This book is crazy, not a typical one at all, but I'm starting to catch on the rhythm of things and beginning to understand them. That's good news.
BTW: I kinda feel like Billy is similar to that one character in lost... you know, the one with the beard? Too bad I cant remember his name.
martes, 1 de septiembre de 2009
Slaughterhouse-five: Little Billy (2)
I had a hard time understanding this chapter since the time keeps flipping from present to past with little or no warning. This second chapter talks about one of the members of the army: Billy. Billy is thin and awkward and pretty much dead weight in the battlefield. He's not much of an athlete and in mentally unstable. But war is just the tip of the ice berg: Billy has gone though a lot of internal wreck throughout his life. Starting at his childhood, when his father pushed him into the pool in a "sink-or-swim" technique to teach him how to swim. Even after Billy gets married and has children, and survives a plane accident, only to lose his wife in another kind of mishap. He undergoes electro-shock therapy as an attempt to make him a 'normal' person, only resulting in a Billy that firmly believes he was once abducted by aliens. Little Billy sure is one miserable man.
Slaughterhouse-Five: First Impressions (1)
After reading chapter five I found it rather odd that it is actually part of the story, it seems like it would be more of a preface to the rest of the book.'Slaughterhouse-five' has a strange, crude sense of humor that I haven't really caught onto yet (but hopefully will soon) although once once you get past that, clearly Vonnegut is one funny man.
The main character intrigues me since he is so complex and atypical and it isn't hard to see that since he himself is narrating the story about his life and war. I agree with his view on war: although horrifying, impossible to abolish (just like many other horrifying things in life). I've seen many movies about war and how brave men lived through them, but i can see that this is going to be different, because its not about men anymore, but about real-life flesh and bone "babies"(as Mary claims them to be).
It seems like Vonnegut is one real man with real issues and serious writer's block, but somehow I still want to keep on reading...
The main character intrigues me since he is so complex and atypical and it isn't hard to see that since he himself is narrating the story about his life and war. I agree with his view on war: although horrifying, impossible to abolish (just like many other horrifying things in life). I've seen many movies about war and how brave men lived through them, but i can see that this is going to be different, because its not about men anymore, but about real-life flesh and bone "babies"(as Mary claims them to be).
It seems like Vonnegut is one real man with real issues and serious writer's block, but somehow I still want to keep on reading...
jueves, 27 de agosto de 2009
"We'll all be on the menu"
I've never been a fan of sci-fi and I believe I never will, but this really basic and stereotypical alien story actually has a purpose behind it. To Serve Man was the title of this episode of the Twilight Zone, which by the way I found really amusing and well thought of.
The story is about nine-feet tall beings from a different dimension that come to visit us humans in our humble little earth. They promise not to have any harmful intentions and hand over a little black book with symbols for a title (later on known to read ‘To Serve a Man’) to the little, yet seemingly powerful fat man behind the desk. It all seems pretty sketchy, until he mentions that their kind could hand over their knowledge on weapons and solutions for our main issues (including our absolute fear of atomic bombs and missiles for which they have designed a force field). At this everybody smiles and shakes hand with the tall creature without thinking it over twice.
Human greed had already shone in all its glory merely a minute and a half into the clip. Because we think we know it all, when greater intelligence is approaches we immediately think it must be some kind of trick, that is, until they offer what we hadn’t been able to achieve: answers. Without giving it second thought, Earth’s humans have made deals with the aliens and even set up and airline for them, everything is just fine until the little black book turns out to be a cook book and an innocent man is aboard a space ship getting fattened to later on be “an ingredient in someone’s soup”.
It all comes down to this one little quirk people have that makes them hurt themselves over and over again…
miércoles, 26 de agosto de 2009
Utopia (cheese alert)
The land in green and the water is clear,
the stars shine at night and daytime is warm,
that is what i want i wish it was real.
There's cool soft rain, not a menacing storm,
no screams and no cries, only sun-kissed smiles,
no torn skin, no cries: truly an art form.
Everyone will walk on Heaven's isles,
because no one sins, everybody's good,
it is truly pure bliss that lasts for miles.
the stars shine at night and daytime is warm,
that is what i want i wish it was real.
There's cool soft rain, not a menacing storm,
no screams and no cries, only sun-kissed smiles,
no torn skin, no cries: truly an art form.
Everyone will walk on Heaven's isles,
because no one sins, everybody's good,
it is truly pure bliss that lasts for miles.
jueves, 20 de agosto de 2009
CONVO: hello
Carrot: Hey
Cabbage: Hey, what are you doing?
Carrot: I'm watching T.V. You?
Cabbage: I just got back from school. How are you feeling?
Carrot: A lot better.
Cabbage: That's great! How long until you come back to school?
Carrot: I'm still missing my toes. Not long I hope.
Cabbage: You're almost there! I was really worried.
Carrot: Hm...
Cabbage: I have to go eat dinner. See you soon!
Carrot: Okay. Bye!
Cabbage: Hey, what are you doing?
Carrot: I'm watching T.V. You?
Cabbage: I just got back from school. How are you feeling?
Carrot: A lot better.
Cabbage: That's great! How long until you come back to school?
Carrot: I'm still missing my toes. Not long I hope.
Cabbage: You're almost there! I was really worried.
Carrot: Hm...
Cabbage: I have to go eat dinner. See you soon!
Carrot: Okay. Bye!
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