Hamlet: Act Three Remix

My group (Stevie Wisz, Alec Wilson and Noah Hernandez) decided to take a different turn and way about this project. We went into this hoping for collaboration with Phonar! Unfortunately, the young man that decided to take up our project with us got ill and had to spend the week it was due in the hospital... another male decided to step in a send us a quick little picture he had created that he thought represented the essential theme portrayed throughout Hamlet. Here's the picture.
  


During class we stood up and explained what each of us got out of this picture and how we related it to Shakespeare work. I took this in a way of Hamlet being represented as the boy with the hood and the depressing persona he gives off. The whole scene is depressing and to me that's what I concluding about the whole entire play. The graves in the background could either represent death as a whole throughout the play or represent his father King Hamlet and foreshadowing the death of King Claudius. Hamlet during the whole play is constantly putting up with a battle of his own whether it was in his head, which was expressed aloud during his soliloquy, or the physical battles he has with other characters such as Polonius, Gertrude, Ophelia or Claudius. Another description I took out of this picture was the fact that he isn't quite fully there as a human being. He seems sort of like a ghost and that's huge during the play because, as a reader, he always came off to me as someone in the shadows because people resented him and his doings because he was sought of to be a mad man. Nobody genuinely cared for Hamlet and by making him see-through fits perfectly with this remix. Phonar did a very good job designing a picture through a trans media message and I got a lot of of remixing this act in Hamlet!

Poem Comparison

When given the question, "Do you think all poems are alike?" there's only one thought and answer that comes to my mind. My partner and I pick and chose the poem "Working Together" by David Whyte. After reading it and analyzing it, we decided to compare and contrast it to the poem "Everything is Going to be Alright" by Derek Mahon. The poems are built on such different foundations and thought processes, it's quite amusing picking and choosing which one stood out and we could relate to most. No, poems are not created all alike and that's what makes them so different and special compared to one another. 

    David Whyte's Working Together is a poem that portrays how humans are affected, shaped, related to, and involved in the world. In his poem, David makes it clear to depict how the world is so quick to shape and define and help us be the person we would like to be. Working together has central message of happiness despite racism, social classes or occupations. This poem also stresses that most of us are constantly striving to achieve our intangibles, but they're intangibles for a reason and we shouldn't aim for that. We shouldn't let society shape us repeatedly over and over again, but to solve that by creating our own flight with our own set of wings accomplishing greater things that define our true selves. 

   Everything is Going to be Alright is a poem that depicts the positive in every negative situation. Individuals are in fact going to experience rough times, but in the end, things resolve and everything is okay in the end. I have a hard time getting around “There will be dying, there will be dying". To me it casts all the brightness of the poem under a shadow of darkness and ambiguity. This poem to me has a strong influence on people and they way they reevaluate their thinking about situations when all darkness is surrounding them. I think it’s so true about making decisions when you are younger, the import of which you don’t realize until very much later. The poem overall gives me a negative vibe, but just reading the words "everything is going to be alright" changed my attitude for it completely. 

    These two poems are both so similar in which they both shift from the negative and positive aspects of life and how they affect us all, but are different in thr way that they achieve different goals and depict for totally different themes. Both authors of the two poems relate the surroundings of individuals focusing on a whole to individuals David Whyte uses this purpose to illustrate how the world shapes the person we are and want to be. We constantly always follow what society has instore for us and what's the best of the best to be and look like. On the other hand, Derek Mahon portrays through the poem on how it to relate the atmosphere to the fate of the individual and the outcome of it whether it be beneficial or costly. 

    Another unique similarity between the two poems is how the author achieves its purpose and goal by using the end of the poem to summarize the point they are trying to get across to their audience and readers. In “Everything is Going to be Alright.”, Mahon ends his poem with the theory that everything will be okay in the end no matter how difficult life may be, there's always a bright side and light to look forward to.  In "Working Together", Whyte ends his poem with “…by forming it well to the great intangibles about us,” which concludes the poem with the idea that our surroundings shape who we are as individuals and those intangibles are what we as individuals strive for.  Both of the authors use similar tactics to getting their points across to the audience but contain totally opposite themes and points. Its easy to compare and contrast them, but when you dig deeper and deeper into poems the meaning of such lines or words you once read could completely change. 

   

 
  All in all, reflecting back to the question is if I thought all poems were created alike then a simple no could always answer the questions. Poems are such powerful pieces of art that people from every different level and place in the world can create or relate on together. Poems have no set structure, that comes with the imagination and effort you put into it. Such poems like "Working Together" by David Whyte and "Everything is Going to be Alright" by Derek Mahon, depending on how you look at it, can be so differently and exactly the same at the same time. The way you perceive the work is going to determine what you get out of it. All poems are created differently and that's the most interesting and powerful thing about them, just like human beings ourselves.  

     

More Hamlet Notes!

Sancutuary For All

It was a peaceful day,
then all hell broke way
A fight occurred and I heard the principal say,
Lock down is here! Go hide away!

Locked away we could not here,
but going on Twitter there were laughs and cheers.
All confused, is it that big of a deal
Pshh, 15 cops, helicopter and a swat team just for the news' schpeal.

All and all its all done,
and personally I thought it was all dumb
Righetti is a great place to stay,
the National News is just pushing people away.
Don't worry kids there's nothing to fear,
were a school of success so come here!

-Siera Betts

The Remix of "Working Together" (Collaboration with Stevie Wisz)

Working Together by David Whyte

We shape our self 
to fit the world
And by the world
are shaped again
The visible
and the invisible
Working together 
in common cause,
to produce
the miraculous.
I am thinking of the way
the intangible air
passed at speed
round a shaped wing
easily 
holds our weight
So may we, in this life
trust
to those elements 
we have yet to see
or imagine,
and look for the true
shape our own self,
by forming it well
to the great 
intangibles about us

When thinking about how to do this remix and understanding the poem easy I had a direct way i visualized it. By going through and breaking down each line with a visual representation (which poems lack to consist of). So here it is piece by piece!

"We shape ourselves to fit this world" is saying that ordinary individuals are always thriving to be the best of the best and keeping up with the latest technology. People are immune to strive for what models look like, the coolest and newest phones and the most "chic" outfits out there in stores at the time. *This is ordinary people back in the 90's back when the things showed were what we shaped ourselves to fit in during this time.
     
"And by the world are shaped again" just means that we once thought that this fashion was once the nicest clothes and the nicest technology, but just like society its self, its constantly changing to better and newer.


"The visible and invisible working together in common cause to produce the miraculous" just means that no matter what job or what person you are you can all come together making our world go round and/or supporting a family of your own. You can also come around it with the visible being the singer/raper ( which they are getting all the attention and credit) and the invisible being the producer (one who makes the beats, writes lyrics and what not) but they are all working together for one cause and that's making music. Drake the rapper (who we all know) and Noah Shebib, the producer (who most people don't know)
    
"I am thinking of the way, the intangible air" well I'm referring this based off of the word intangible. Intangible means you cannot obtain perfection. So, perfection is what is being strived for. 

" Passed at speed, round a shaped wing, easily holds our weight" this means that what's happening is wings are meant for and symbolized for freedom. Each wing should be how you want to take on your flight, your own style, shape and when they are shaped by another or a theory then it becomes a burden to hold our selves up and pursue our ambitions. 
          
"So may we, in this life trust to those elements we have yet to see or imagine" I took this decoding in a way of explaining elements we have yet to see by using age/growing old as an example. Things we haven't experienced yet either as a human being or even to the point as our wold dramatically changing.
  
"And look for the true shape our own self, by forming it well to the great intangibles about us." and last but not least I took this in a way of looking for the true shape of our selves showing our true colors instead of imagining and forming our lives to conquer the intangibles that most likely wont happen. Such perfections and intangibles as never dying (Drinking from the Fountain of Youth) or obtaining perfection instead of the daily progress for it.
  

Literature Analysis #2

Kite Runner

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

It’s been awhile since I’ve read such a tantalizing and moving tale with a plot so intense. The exposition must be all the way up to the kite competition. The readers learn all about the relationship between Hassan and Amir and Amir and his father, while getting a sense of history about the Afghan culture and the Russians. The definite inciting incident is when Hassan get’s raped and Amir witnesses it. This changes the whole plot because Amir holds a dark secret that no one knows about but lets it affect his relationship with Hassan, sending his dad (who has been friends with Baba since as long as he could remember) and Hassan out of their life. From there history takes over and those pairs go their separate ways, which disturbs and comes back to Hassan later on in the story. The climax is when Amir is back in Afghanistan finding Hassan's son who is later revealed to be with an old enemy, Assef. Amir than barely rescues Sobhar (Hassan's son) and takes him back to America with him despite his suicide scare. The suicide scare and events after that are the falling action because it ends with Amir back home with his wife and Sobhar even though his life wasn't perfect.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

The theme of the novel would have to be your character as a youthful person dictates how the rest of your life will turn out. This is actually seen through all the main characters, for examples Baba, Hassan and Amir. How they acted when they were younger depicted their decisions as adults. Hassan’s loyalty to Amir for example is illustrated in his older years when he is volunteering to keep Baba’s old house clean for Rahim Khan. Also, Amir is faced with another decision of being a coward or not in his adulthood, compared to when in his teenage years he ran away from his friend’s troubles. The book really focuses on the struggle of the characters and how they choose to face their own demons.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s). The authors tone throughout the whole story would vary from being blissful and proud to melancholy and intense.

The author’s tone throughout the book stays mainly at a melancholy/ longing type of tone. “The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing butt he sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born.” The author threw in this to give the readers a sense of the history going on in Afghanistan. Afghanistan to this day, has never really had a positive history to begin with being an American… but with this book I have a deeper understanding of the culture, which is honestly depressing. “They’d all just go rot in Hazarajat where they belong. You’re a disgrace to Afghanistan.” The intensity and hate behind this dialogue goes to show the melancholy of the book. “The streets glistened with fresh snow and the sky was a blameless blue.” This quote just really shows the setting of the book and what the author was trying to accomplish.

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.) 

Foreshadowing: With the use of this technique, I was able to infer alot about the point Khaled was trying to get across because he used this technique very often in his text. "So I left the room and went looking for another hotel, unaware that almost a year would pass before I would hear Sohrab speak another word." Pg. 356

Dialogue (Very prominent): The dialogue was very important because it stressed the atmosphere of the scenes. "We're hungry but we're not savages! He is a guest! What was I supposed to do?...I tiptoed away...They hadn't been staring at the watch at all. They'd been staring at my food" Pg. 241

Similes/metaphors: The simile's and metaphors really provided a serious sense of tone through out the book. "... Like a cop showing mug shots of the killer to the victim's family" Pg. 159

Flashbacks: The flashbacks add a sense of time into the story and help develop the sincerity of the moment. "Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years" Pg. 1.

Foil Characters: The foil characters helped me with the author's purpose by showing me how two contrasting characters can share similarities and how the author tried to compare the main character to an enemy. For example Amir and Assef.

Allusion: Creates a strong sense of tone between the characters when they are describing events. "I felt like jean Valjean sitting across from Javert. I reminded myself that I was on American soil now, that this guy on my side." Pg 328

Changing of Settings: The setting has played a big role in the Kite Runner by moving along the plot from Afghanistan to the United States and creating problems which  also helped with getting a theme of the story. 

Suspense: Suspense helps provide a melancholy sense of tone to the story. "Lessen his suffering. And mine too. Either way, this much had become clear: One of us had to go" Pg. 102 

Tragedy: The tragedy is basically Amir living his life with a terrible regret and as that is happening, all his closest family dies. " We closed the door. Baba never woke up" Pg. 173

Imagery: This really develops an impact on the author's purpose because it illustrates the authors purpose clearly. "I only knew the memory lived in me, a perfectly encapsulated morsel of good past, a brushstroke of color on the gray, barren canvas that our lives had become." Pg 123

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

Two profound events that happened in the book that were direct characterization are when Amir called himself a coward for watching his friend get raped and when Baba was described by his colleagues by all the amazing accomplishments he achieved. Two indirect characterizations are when Hassan showed his character and loyalty to Amir who was shockingly disappointed that Hassan would not fight back. He was then characterized as a person who would give an arm and leg for Amir, while on the other hand he would not. Another example is when Farid gave off a hostile impression than later changed to a hospitality person after finding out Amir’s real purpose. I think the author uses both approaches to help the readers get different perspectives on the characters between how they see themselves and how they really carry themselves through the book. Honestly though, I have a hate/love relationship with Amir’s character ESPECIALLY when he didn’t save his half-brother from the awful actions of Assef. I really wish he stood up for him, but knowing his character and his thoughts and feelings about Hassan, I had a bad feeling that he wouldn’t come to his rescue.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

I honestly don’t think the author’s syntax or diction changes from character to character because he kept a constant dialect through out the whole book. Even when using dialogue, Khaled had a way to maintain the same level of intelligent between characters. 

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain. 

The protagonist is a very dynamic character. Amir has many bits and pieces to him that really shape the plot of the story. For example him finding out that he was HALF-BROTHER to Hassan, the very person he treated like dirt, influenced his decision to staying in Afghanistan for a little longer to find Hassan’s son and rescue him. Hassan is also a very round character. His character develops through out the years he is gone from his home country and through tragic events like his father dying, the marrying of a woman he cannot bare children to, the news of his half-brother dying/ finding out he was his half-brother and seeing his half-brother get raped. He develops a type of courage and ambition that doesn’t follow in the steps of his father.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 

I felt like I was in another world but realized that what happens in the book is reality in their country. Hassan felt like a person I’d met but I also felt like a read a character. I mainly did feel like a read a character or a story about someone but not in a negative light. One instant is when it was Amir’s graduation. Amir had always had this longing of love and appreciation from his father his whole life and on his graduation day he finally felt that until his father said “I wish Hassan was here to see this”. Hassan’s heart dropped and he felt all the guilt he didn’t want to feel. At that instant I felt like I could relate and give him sympathy because I understood what he was feeling. Moments like those in the book make me feel like I’m talking to someone I know. Or reading about someone I know. But in the end, this book makes me feel like I’ve read a lifetime about a person. 

Intro To Poetry

1) The significance of the title is that what shapes and defines who we really are is the contribution of both ourselves and our actions and the surrounding environment. With assistance of each other, we and our surroundings can find the person we truly are. 

2) Working Together has a reflective and reasoning. The author of the piece continually compares the nature of life and how we are involved with our surroundings and vice versa. I felt as if the author was utilizing contrasting components of life in effort to prove a point and make a connection between individuals and their surroundings. I feel that he is briefly acknowledging the cycle and rotation we go through each and every day and what we make of it and ourselces. 

3) when reviewing all of the poems in class, this specific poem stood out to me the most. Rating it a 9/10, I was fascinated by how much I could relate to it. I felt like the author had written a poem based on my life without even knowing who I am. 

4) I believe the mood of the play is undermining. While reading, I feel that the author undermined the capabilities Earth contains and  opportunities it provides us with but then turns the mood around towards the end and begins to depict and admiration for the earth and all it does for its inhabitants. 

5) to me, the author has several shifts in his piece. He goes from undermining the earth to admiring it from verse to verse. 

6) the theme of the poem is the power of influence. We as human beings are constantly influenced by our peers, environment, and all other things that we begin to shape ourselves in ways that others believe we should be and not the way we want ourselves to be. We continually undermine our relationship or hour surroundings and also our ability to be the person we wish to be. 

This in-depth analysis of the poem alone and yet with my partner helped me better understand the author's purpose and method in creating such an inspirational poem. With this deeper knowledge, I am now in a position in which I can combine it into an essay in which I can compare and contrast the poem to another