ENGL 2200: Final Blog

Today, for my final World Literature I blog, I would like to discuss my favorite and least favorite pieces of literature that we have gone over in this course. How about I begin with my least favorite so we can end on a positive note? My least favorite piece we have read through out this course is the Tale of Genji. This was my least favorite because it was not an extremely easy to follow/straight forward text. On top of that Genji was not the type of man I believe people should read about with an expectation of aristocratic nature and high opinions of him. Genji had multiple lovers, in general the text was just not agreeable with me. In contrast, my favorite piece of literature we have discussed is The Inferno. I have a notion to say my favorite is Antigone, because I really like several topics that the play discusses and the overall plot is very interesting to me, it kept my attention. However, for blog and world lit purposes I have decided to say The Inferno my favorite because I have previously read Antigone for a AP Literature high school course. I must say I do not necessarily prefer Antigone over The Inferno, honestly they are both excellent. One of the biggest reasons I enjoyed reading The Inferno was because as a Christian I was interested to see what one man's imagination of hell was like, how he decided to punish each sin was interesting. The most fitting circle of hell, I believe, was Circle 7; because of the punishment for suicide being to spend eternity as a tree with your body hung in your branches. I also really found it interesting that Satan was being held captive in the cold, it was a view I had not previously thought of.

There we have it, my final blog for World Literature I.

Thanks for reading!

ENGL 2200: King Lear

To begin my blog today I am going to look at the very last portion of act 5 first. In class we discussed the possibility of Cordelia being the fool and how it was highly improbable that that was the case. I still agree that this is probably not what Shakespeare intended, for Cordelia and the Fool to be one and the same, however, I did see, what I considered to be evidence of the proposition. After Cordelia has been hung he mentions that his Fool has died but in this line he is referring to his daughter, not his fool. Also I knew the play was a tragedy and the characters would die but I didn't expect Edgar and Kent to live just because of their important roles in the play. Although in this play what "comes around goes around" was a very accurate statement, all of the characters who died did things and confessed to doing things that were not necessarily in the best interest of others. Also when all was said and done at the end it was Albany who had the kingdom, even though his wife was about to get rid of him and in essence make Edmund the king. Along with that Goneril and Reagan fighting for Edmund in front of Albany was surprising, I did not think that she would fight for Edmund in front of her husband because he was her partner in control of the kingdom, but she also disclaimed this argument.

ENGL 2200: King Lear

There were several things that caught my eye while reading this portion of King Lear. The "fake" trail that King Lear put his daughters through. I'm still not exactly sure what happened, I've even read the No Fear Shakespeare. It seems to me that Lear was angry and his daughters because they were terrible and have no care for anything other than themselves so he wanted to put them to justice, in his imagination? He has quite an imagination when Regan runs out of the trial, I'm not sure why he thought that up. Also in the trail Edgar gets to be the judge, so does Kent but he doesn't take it nearly as seriously, I found this interesting because they get to pass judgment and rule whereas when they were not in discuise they could never do that, they were the ones being judged. Another thing I found interesting was when Edgar was almost saying "misery likes company." He says "When grief hath mates and bearing fellowship", I found that Edgan was not rejoycing in King Lear going mad but it made him feel better that he wasn't the only one in hard times; later in that speech you can see that Edgar wants the best for King Lear. One last thing really quick, I found a quote interesting: "As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods; The kill us for their sport." I just found that gloucester had done everything by the book, or so he thought for the most part, yet he couldn't do anything about having his eyes plucked out, the gods were just doing as they pleased, fate was set in stone.

ENGL 2200: King Lear

For this blog I want to discuss a few things that caught my eye, the first of which is when Regon and Cornwall decided to place Kent in the stocks. When they did this I'm not sure if it was really Kent that they were punishing, I believe it may have been a jab at the king. In Act 2 scene 2 Kent says "Call not your stocks for me. I serve the king, On whose employment I was sent to you. You shall do small respect, show too bold malice Against the grace and person of my master, Stocking his messenger." after which he adds that if he were the king's dog she wouldn't treat him so cruelly to which she responds that because he is the Kings servant she will. Seeing that she wouldn't be that mean to the king's dog but she would to his servant, a human being, makes me think that she is sending the king a message, like what Kent said, it would offend his master the king. I see this not a justice but as revenge for something.

Another thing I'd like to point out is how the act of justice is warped for the characters in the play, but it is only warped because of the spin of lies that everyone believes. When Gloucester wants justice to be served to Edgar because of his lie of a desire to kill him, and like wise for Edgar he believe his father is out to get him. In both instances justice/revenge in a sense is not accurate and the is subplot twisted further by it.

ENGL 2200: Sunjata

How is the work an epic? How does this work depart from other epics we've read?

The work Sunjata is an epic for several reasons, the first being that when he was a baby he was born before his brothers were, however, the other servants reached his father with the news of their birth first, due to this he was kind of cheated out of the thrown. He was helpful and just to the griots even though all they wanted to prove was that he was a failure. When the sorcerers encountered him on his way back from a hunting trip he was generous and gave them one of the elephants he killed also proving that by killing the elephant he was a mighty hunter, not only that but later in the epic we see that he killed a terrible beast. When the sorcerers told him he was in danger he wouldn't leave without his mother and sister, along with a couple other things but mostly his mother and sister, showing his virtue, a characteristic all epic heros must have. The sorcerers, who were originally supposed to harm Sunjata actually warned him about returning to the city shows that people liked him, like in all epics the hero is liked by the people. Sunjata had to leave the city that he was once enthroned to behind and travel somewhere that he would be safe. This meet the qualifications of a epic in that he is going on a journey. This epic differs from previous epics we have read because he was supposed to have the crown but something interfered like in the case of Rama, however Gilgamesh didn't have this problem. He was also sent away from his city because he wasn't welcome at home just as it was for Rama, again however Gilgamesh didn't face this he went on his own.

ENGL 2200: The Tale of Genji

For blog eight I would like to talk about Genji and what I think of him as a man. In the very beginning of the Tale of Genji my expectations were that he would be aristocratic, refined, and what chivalry means to us in today's culture, just because when you think of stories that is what you want to believe. Aristocratic was correct, but the others not so much. Refined, well, he sleeps with married women, yes in the society at the time this was fine but it is still unnerving to me. Along with chivalry its not the same as I had anticipated, none the less he is supposed to be an elevated individual of his time. He kindof does what is expected of him which is going and sleeping around with married women and partaking in this forbidden romance that everyone seems awestruck by. Genji loved his wife and only her, but as time progressed he became more of a player. I feel like Genji manipulated the system, he had multiple affairs, just jumping around from one woman to the next. I believe that he did experience love, but I think it may have been a warped view of it, because he didn't have the expectation of being with a woman forever, when he was tired of her and things didn't go perfectly their relationship didn't have to continue. Which makes it so there is no accountability on Genji's part and he can do what ever he wants. If the woman wanted to change anything about this they would more than likely be labeled as not having the ideal personality or haveing a giant flaw which would make it so she wouldn't have any suitors.

ENGL 2200: Margery Kempe

Today, I would like to discuss the relationship between Margery Kempe and her husband.

In the beginning of the book Margery believes she is a terrible person, she thinks that she is seeing visions and hearing the devil, which in class we through out the idea that she may have had postmortem depression. Because of her past she now wishes to devote herself physically and mentally to God. Due to this she denies her husband several things, the most notable being that she doesn't want to have sex with him, but she still obeys him in which I take it that if he tells her that they are having sex then she will but she won't be happy about it. The next is that Margery Kempe's husband wants her to commune with him on Fridays. Instead she fasts and communes with God, which is understandable, however she also needs to make time for her husband. It seems to me almost that they are in a marriage, and they play the roles of husband and wife, to the minuscule extent that they can get away with. Maybe they are together strictly because divorce and separation are frowned upon at this time, whatever the reason, it seems that their marriage is not one that they are happy in, if one is more happy than the other I would say that it is Margery, because she gets almost everything she wants even if she has to wait a bit. Where as her husband seems to be giving into Margery and trying to get something for himself out of the deal.

ENGL 2200: The Tang Dynasty Poets

Nature is a key element in all the Tang Dynasty Poet's works. They all relate nature to how they feel, Wang Wei in To Subprefect Chang Wei discusses how he loves the stillness of the woods and nature, he relates it to peace stilling his troubles along with comfort of doing the things he enjoys and relaxing. Regarding Li Bai's Going to Visit Tai-T'tien Mountain's Master of the Way Without Finding Him we see he shows nature as conflicting, it can be calm yet chaotic. Dogs are barking, and the peach blossoms are stained both are an aspect of the chaos and disturbing point of nature. Whereas almost all of the rest of his poem is light hearted and everything is positive attributes, sounds of water, deer, the creek, a use of imagery with the waterfall, pine trees, and bamboo. One thing to point out is how he discusses that he can't hear midday temple bells, this is significant in that he has become so secluded in nature that there is no one to keep track of him, to hold him accountable, to dictate his actions. He is beyond society now. In Li Bai's Chang-Kah Village Song Nature is almost portrayed as a negative, because the "green moss buried your tracks one by one" because they had been gone for along time, but nature is keeping track and almost torturing and taunting her while she waits for him to return. Let's take a look at Du Fu's work P'eng-Ya Song, nature is again portrayed with a taunting twist. A family is forced to leave their home, and "Of ten days, half were all thunder and rain- mud and more mud to drag ourselves through." Nature isn't taking care of them, nature isn't comforting, nature is making this journey as painful and slow as possible, drawing out their days with each rain drop soaking them. Finally Bo Juyi's An Old Charcoal Seller. When "then one night an inch of snow falls in the city's foothills" knowing that the charcoal seller wants this snow, we see nature almost rewarding him for his hard work and diligence for his producing charcoal and wants him to prosper, granting him his desire of the cold. With all this, we see the different viewpoint that can be seen through nature. The Tang Dynasty Poets all decidedly involve nature because it was and is a key element in people's lives.

ENGL 2200: Inferno (Blog 5)

I want to discuss Virgil, is he a suitable guide to lead Dante through hell?

When first begining to read this work I thought he was a decent guide. He is a resident of Limbo, which made me think oh he may not know very much about the rest of hell. Being from limbo he may be sheltered from some of the things that go on in the sectors of hell that are being punished more severely than the residence of Limbo. Even now I'm not really sure if Limbo is really being punished because they don't have anything really bothering them. The punishment I see the people of Limbo experiencing is that they must suffer the grief of not being in heaven, which is a great burdon, however, they don't have any physical punishments like the other circles of hell. Regardless of where Virgil comes from, after reading more of Dante's Inferno I have determined that he is a very suitable guide for Dante. Virgil was selected by Beatrice to lead Dante, why I'm really not sure but nonetheless Beatrice chose him so he has to have somthing going for him. Whether it be that God trusts him for this mission or a test from God to see Virgil on this quest. Another reason I believe Virgil is a good guide for Dante is because when Beatrice tells him of the mission he is about to embark on she also mentions that if he does a good job she will give good word to God. Knowing the grief that Virgil is experiencing in Limbo I believe he will do everything in his power to have favor in Gods eyes. One last thing to note why Virgil is a good leader for Dante, at the begining I thought that because he is apart of Limbo he wouldn't know about the deeper circles of hell but really he has already been though them because in Canto XXI, Virgil says "As for any outrage they may do me, have no fear. I know this place and had exactly such a scuffle here before." I think Virgil is a good guide for Dante to follow throughout hell.

ENGL: 2200 Inferno

Regarding Inferno couple things really stood out to me as intriguing.

I liked his illustration with the three beasts that follow Dante and keep him on his path of destruction. The leopard, the lion and the she-wolf, i believe these vicious animals are demons ensuring that his sole is lost and he has no way to regain it. Until intervention from the gods comes.

Something more notable that really interested me and concerned me was in Cantro IV when Dante and his guide were in the very begging of hell after they crossed on the boat. Pg 704, lines 25-42. But the biggest thing about it all was that the little children where there. I understand the men and women but the children? If this is a work based on Christianity as the main religion then why are little children in hell? Because Jesus says many times that children are dear to him. To let all children near him for he loves them. This is just one thing that really vexed me during the reading.

Next, I didn't understand why the one sector of hell where the "hog" was talking with Dante and his guide. Where the man knew him but Dante didn't recall him. After they had said all that they needed, the man in hell's eyes glazed over into blindness until the second coming of the Lord. I couldn't wrap my mind around why he and the people in that part of hell were forced to wit like that, whereas the sectors before and after were not blindly waiting. I understand that the different circles and places in those circles even have different punishments. Is was just confusing to me.

ENGL 2200: Ramayana

Do Rama or Sita ever have periods of failure in Dharma?

Yes, several times through out The Ramayana both Rama and Sita do not adhere to Dharma; although here I'd like to address one situation. Sita is to some extent caught in limbo of Dharma when Rama was banished from Ayodhya. At first she seems to be disregarding Dharma in that she refuses to follow her husband's orders. Rama is talking to his mother when he says: "To a woman her husband is verily god himself. ... Even a pious woman who is otherwise righteous, if she does not serve her husband, is deemed to be sinner. On the other hand, she who serves her husband attains blessedness even if she does not worship the gods, perform the rituals or honour the holy men." Knowing this aspect of Dharma we see that Sita is breaking Dharma when she says she will not stay in the city, which is Rama's wish, but instead she will stay with her husband and go live in the forest. Now this is breaking Dharma in that she is disobeying her husband but at the same time she is following Dharma in that she is staying loyal to Rama by not wavering away from him, she wants to be with him. In this same instance Rama fails to adhere to Dharma by his suggesting that Sita not adhere to Dharma and stay in the city, thus jeopardizing her being in good standing with the gods, so to speek. Although it is all equaled out in the end by Sita going into the forest with Rama regardless of their arguments about the matter.

ENGL 2200: Antigone

Today I would like to discuss a little about Creon,
He starts out toward the good side, more good than bad, but by the end he has been corrupted by his power. He begins good mainly because he is doing what he believes is best for the city of Thebes. I'm really not sure as to whether he was truly against Polynices or if it was a more political move to strengthen his power because he is concerned about protecting Thebes from wolves in sheep's clothing, because Polynices was one of their won but he was also a traitor. When Creon makes the decision that no one is to give burial rights to Polynices, he also makes the distinction that in the event someone breaks his law that the punishment is death. In Creon's opinion whoever helps with Polynices burial or whoever defies his law is doing so due to a reward of money; this for some reason almost makes be think he is paranoid. Well aware of the law Antigone proceeds with burying her brother. Upon Creon finding out and Antigon being brought to him for punishment, Creon is furious that she broke his law but he will not waver in the punishment because he will not seem week in the eyes of his people. As he orders his men to punish her by taking her out far from the city to leave her with hardly any rations to die, he is approaches by a seer. The seer tells him of his faults in dealing with Antigone and with Polynices, and the outcome of what he has done. Which is that Creon's first born son will die and that the gods no longer hear Thebes' prayers. They know this because the alters will not light because the birds have caught diseases form the body of Polynices lying open in the fields. At this point Creon brings up that he believes the seer may be influenced by money to tell him these things, the seer of coarse has not received any money for this information. Creon lashes out at the seer at which point he leaves, Creon consults with is leaders, which decide that he should undo all the acts of punishment that he has done. Although nothing they do will help now because Antigone has taken her own life and Haemon has found her and taken his life as well. Creon has officially ruined his family and himself.

ENGL 2200: Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh's grief...
Well when we're talking about Gilgamesh's response to the death of Enkidu he handles it normally, I would think. His brother had just died, and not only died from the earth but died into dust, into nothingness. However, when he seeks the gods for everlasting life among them, he shows a selfish side. He is angry about the death of Enkidu at frist and for a long time, and I guarantee it is an underlying factor throughout his grief but to me he seems self-absorbed in that he doesn't want to die and become nothingness. He talks with numerous gods about how to attain immortality, and his question starts out with how his brother Enkidu died, that the worms fastened on to him, but what gets me is that Gilgamest is only concerned with himself attaining immortality, he doesn't plead with them on Enkidu's behalf, to resurrect him or to give his friend life among the gods. His journey finally takes him to Urshanabi, the only mortal the gods have ever givien eternal life. Gilgamesh asks Urshanabi how he recieced favor in the eyes of the gods in order to live forever and Urshanabi tells him the story, but doesn't give Gilgamesh any hope of recieving his wish. Urshanabi also tells him of a plant that lives in the ocean, a plant that will restore the youth into an old man. Upon hearing this Gilgamesh swims into the warters and finds the plant and brings it to the surface. Now this is where he redeems himself a bit, he is generous with the plant, one of his first thoughts was to take the plant back to Uruk and let the older men have the opportunity to eat of the plant and restore thier youth. All in all, Gilgamesh responds normallly to the death of Enkidu, his motives for everlasting live are selfish but in the end he does try to hlep out the people of Uruk witht the plant that restores youth into the elderly.