Monday, August 20, 2012
Culture
Culture is a multitude of social customs passed on through generations. The way people live is their culture. This includes their language, dialect, clothing, food, religion, holidays, etc. Culture is extrinsic. It is taught to us by our parents and our society. This is how it is passed on through generations. Examples of Kentucky culture is that we have slight country accents and we mostly like bluegrass music. Kentucky is famous for thoroughbred breeding and racing, coal mining, and bourban. Basketball is also a big part of everyone's lives.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Runaway Journal
Facts about the painting:
1. The man sitting on the left is a police officer.
2. The person sitting on the right is a little boy.
3. The officer has a gun.
Claims about the painting:
1. The man standing is addicted to cigarettes.
2. The man standing owns the restaurant.
3. The boy is a runaway.
Analytical claim:
The officer is very nice and comforting.
1. The man sitting on the left is a police officer.
2. The person sitting on the right is a little boy.
3. The officer has a gun.
Claims about the painting:
1. The man standing is addicted to cigarettes.
2. The man standing owns the restaurant.
3. The boy is a runaway.
Analytical claim:
The officer is very nice and comforting.
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Pearl Part 2
The biggest shock from this book is that the pearl is rated as having no value. The dealers then offer Kino small amounts of money for it and he feels as though he is cheated. I didn't understand why it would be labelled as having no value. It's one of the biggest pearls they'd ever seen. Wouldn't that make it rare and therefore very valuable? I know I'd pay a lot of money for a beautiful pearl. Why wouldn't other people?
It also seemed unfair to Kino that he couldn't get any money for his amazing pearl. He was trying to pay for medical treatment for his sick son and he had made all those promises about what he'd do with the money. Nothing is going his way. It's Kino vs. The World.
Next, a strange things happens. Kino is attacked and his house is set on fire. Everyone can guess that it is because of the pearl. But the dealers said it had no value, so why would these people want to attack him for it? It makes no logical sense. Fortunately he was able to kill the man that attacked him, and that seems like the only thing that ever went in his favor. I was slightly cinfused about this turn of events.
It also seemed unfair to Kino that he couldn't get any money for his amazing pearl. He was trying to pay for medical treatment for his sick son and he had made all those promises about what he'd do with the money. Nothing is going his way. It's Kino vs. The World.
Next, a strange things happens. Kino is attacked and his house is set on fire. Everyone can guess that it is because of the pearl. But the dealers said it had no value, so why would these people want to attack him for it? It makes no logical sense. Fortunately he was able to kill the man that attacked him, and that seems like the only thing that ever went in his favor. I was slightly cinfused about this turn of events.
The Pearl Part 1
The first question I have about this book is about the motif of the music in Kino's head. What exactly is this music? Is it a reference to the old ways that they talked about in the beginning of the book? It seems as though The Song of Evil plays in his head every time something bad is about to happen. It's dead on too. It plays every single time something bad happens. If they mention the song, you can immediately predict something bad will happen. And the book never fails to prove your prediction right. The first time the Song of Evil was mentuoned was when the Scorpion stung little Coyotito. I don't understand why Coyotito laughed at the scorpion instead of suspecting danger. I understand he was a baby but scorpions dont really look friendly and we humans tend to be able to tell what is friendly and what is scary.
Next, why wouldn't the doctor help Kino if he offered him pearls. Even if they're small pearls, they're still pearls. They have to have some value. Plus he wasn't doing anything anyway and the baby was dying. That's awfully mean. He's only willing to help after Kino finds the Pearl of the World. That makes the doctor's character very greedy and dislikable. And why does the whole village go with them to see the doctor. It doesn't seem like the situation is any of their business. They even crowded into Kino's home when the doctor actually came to visit. That seems very nosey and I know I wouldn't like it.
During the night, what was the movement in the corner of Kino's house? Was it the doctor? Was it someone sent by the doctor to try and get the pearl? It was in the same corner that the pearl was in. And what struck Kino on the head? Did he hit his head or was he hit by whatever was causing the movement? The whole situation seemed very odd to me. And the book offered no explanation.that seemed awfully foolish. Especially because he promised his son would go to school even though Coyotito was right there dying from scorpion poison.
One last thing is why did Kino make all those promises about what he would do with his money?
Next, why wouldn't the doctor help Kino if he offered him pearls. Even if they're small pearls, they're still pearls. They have to have some value. Plus he wasn't doing anything anyway and the baby was dying. That's awfully mean. He's only willing to help after Kino finds the Pearl of the World. That makes the doctor's character very greedy and dislikable. And why does the whole village go with them to see the doctor. It doesn't seem like the situation is any of their business. They even crowded into Kino's home when the doctor actually came to visit. That seems very nosey and I know I wouldn't like it.
During the night, what was the movement in the corner of Kino's house? Was it the doctor? Was it someone sent by the doctor to try and get the pearl? It was in the same corner that the pearl was in. And what struck Kino on the head? Did he hit his head or was he hit by whatever was causing the movement? The whole situation seemed very odd to me. And the book offered no explanation.that seemed awfully foolish. Especially because he promised his son would go to school even though Coyotito was right there dying from scorpion poison.
One last thing is why did Kino make all those promises about what he would do with his money?
Pygmalion Part 2
Towards the end of the story, Eliza tells Higgins that she can't stand him. So why has she put up with him thiswhole time to become a lady? Was it really worth it? She became a "duchess" just to marry Freddy and have no money. It doesn't really make sense to me. Then the story ends without anyone speaking. It is told like a normal story, so I must bring up the performance aspect of this play again. How do they tell this part of the story? Do they have a narrator or a chorus like in Shakespeare plays? That would make sense but the written version never references a chorus like Shakespeare plays do.
Next, this story hardly has anything to do with Clara, Freddy's sister, so why do they give us a long spat about her in the end. They tell us about how she's poor and can't get married. How in any way does this connect to phonetics and Elizas training? That's what the story was really about. How this poor girl who can barely talk becomes a poor lady that is able to find a husband. And even though she said she can't stand him, why does Eliza continue to consult Higgins after she's married? Seems as though she'd be happy to have someone else and she'd block him out from the rest of her life.
One last thing that interested me was how there were also narrations throughout the book and not just at the end. Are these actual narrations or stage directions? For example, "Eliza tries to control herself and feel indifferent as she rises and walks across to the hearth to switch off the lights. By the time she gets there she is on the point of screaming. She sits down in Higgins's chair and holds on hard to the arms. Finally she gives way and flings herself furiously on the floor raging." I can see where this is a stage direction and this is telling the actress what to do such as going to turn off the lights and sitting in the chair. However I can also see this as a narration explaining to the audience what is going on because it would be hard to demonstrate, "holding on hard to the arms." The audience could be confused when she sits in the chair for a little bit and then suddenly flings herself to the floor.
Next, this story hardly has anything to do with Clara, Freddy's sister, so why do they give us a long spat about her in the end. They tell us about how she's poor and can't get married. How in any way does this connect to phonetics and Elizas training? That's what the story was really about. How this poor girl who can barely talk becomes a poor lady that is able to find a husband. And even though she said she can't stand him, why does Eliza continue to consult Higgins after she's married? Seems as though she'd be happy to have someone else and she'd block him out from the rest of her life.
One last thing that interested me was how there were also narrations throughout the book and not just at the end. Are these actual narrations or stage directions? For example, "Eliza tries to control herself and feel indifferent as she rises and walks across to the hearth to switch off the lights. By the time she gets there she is on the point of screaming. She sits down in Higgins's chair and holds on hard to the arms. Finally she gives way and flings herself furiously on the floor raging." I can see where this is a stage direction and this is telling the actress what to do such as going to turn off the lights and sitting in the chair. However I can also see this as a narration explaining to the audience what is going on because it would be hard to demonstrate, "holding on hard to the arms." The audience could be confused when she sits in the chair for a little bit and then suddenly flings herself to the floor.
Pygmalion Part 1
The thing that most interests me about this story is that it's not a novel. It's a play. You can immediately tell when it is seperated into Acts and not chapters. After I made this observation, I was curious about the Flower Girls lines. Since this is a play, it has to have been performed before. Does that mean that whoever played the Flower Girl had to talk like her during the play? For example, one of her first lines in the play is, "Ow, eez ye-ooa san, is e? Wal, fewd dan y' de-ooty bawmz a mather should, eed now bettern to spawl a pore gel's flahrzn than ran awy atbaht pyin. Will ye-oo py me f'them?"
This line makes no sense and I don't see how someone could read it, let alone memorize it. So, if the actress did have to talk like that, did she eventually switch to normal english soon after like they did in the written version. It would be much easier for the audience to understand, but how would they explain the switch? Would they have someone read the apology that is written in this version? I feel like that would make the play slightly confusing because maybe the audience would think the person apologizing is another character. This would make the story harder to understand.
Next, why do we not learn the Flower Girl's name until she goes to Higgins' home? Why is it that no one asks what her name is when she's trying to sell them flowers? That seems very peculiar to me. Another thing happens when she goes to Higgins' home. Her father shows up. At the beginning when she is trying to sell flowers, she made it seem like her father neglected her and that's why she's out on her own. So why has he taken sudden interest in her? I guess because he saw her as a way to get money because he ended up asking for some from Higgins. In which case I don't understand why Higgins would actually give him the money. If anything, Higgins should ask for money from Doolittle because he's the one teaching the girl. People usually have to pay for private lessons.
This line makes no sense and I don't see how someone could read it, let alone memorize it. So, if the actress did have to talk like that, did she eventually switch to normal english soon after like they did in the written version. It would be much easier for the audience to understand, but how would they explain the switch? Would they have someone read the apology that is written in this version? I feel like that would make the play slightly confusing because maybe the audience would think the person apologizing is another character. This would make the story harder to understand.
Next, why do we not learn the Flower Girl's name until she goes to Higgins' home? Why is it that no one asks what her name is when she's trying to sell them flowers? That seems very peculiar to me. Another thing happens when she goes to Higgins' home. Her father shows up. At the beginning when she is trying to sell flowers, she made it seem like her father neglected her and that's why she's out on her own. So why has he taken sudden interest in her? I guess because he saw her as a way to get money because he ended up asking for some from Higgins. In which case I don't understand why Higgins would actually give him the money. If anything, Higgins should ask for money from Doolittle because he's the one teaching the girl. People usually have to pay for private lessons.
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