Barbie Doll

When first glancing at the poem Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy, I knew the topic center around the unrealistic and superficial emphasis others might place on women, and women might place on themselves, to look so much like that plastic figure us girls all played with at one point in our lives. Upon reading, the poem is divided into stanzas, which first state the normality of a girlchild fawning over figurine dolls and all things girly. At the end of the first stanza however, there is a transition to a more harsh line: "You have a great big nose and fat legs." This diction chosen by the author suggest the often harsh commentary of others when one doesn't meet their expectations. Others have the vision of perfectly pretty barbie doll in their mind and will pick at girls who have any "flaws." The irony of the poem is that the girl is actually very intelligent, but may be weak enough to succumb to the pressures from society to conform and adapt as they would like her to. Doing everything she could she even would "exercise, diet, smile and wheedle," (Piercy,836). The idea that society can eat one alive and impact someone enough to change themselves is seen clearly when "her good nature wore out like a fan belt,"(Piercy,836). This simile shows the complete transformation in her entire personality, her character wasting away until all that is left is what others have made her to be. In the final stanza, the girl has given up herself to conformity, sacrificed herself for a false "ideal" image. This, ironically, causes her "death." This death is not literal but more referring to a death of her old self identity, and uniqueness, even that which was ridiculed. "She cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up,"(Piercy,836). Ironic that the characteristics that people think would make her more acceptable and better, in a sense kill her. Only is she pretty to others when she is not even herself. The final tone of this passage, marked by the line: "Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said." shows the irony that she isn't beautiful in others' eyes until she has "cut off her nose and her legs." 

Hunters In The Snow

Hunters in the Snow by Tobias Wolff follows the hunting expenditures of three "friends" who think friendship is about insulting one another, being rash and crude, and even shooting each other? Initially, the short story was to me like reading about some unclassy hick folk who get their laughs making childlike and immature jokes. However, the story does get more meaningful and the characters do reveal themselves rather in a more respectable light with their more honorable actions and treatment of each other as the book goes on. Both Frank and Tub both go through what I think to be a slow but sure development and turnaround, proving to be dynamic characters. Having before teased each other rudely, now they share more mature feelings and talk more intelligently, the sensitive topic of love is actually conversed seriously when Frank asks: " 'Tub, have you ever been really in love...I mean really in love...with your whole being,' "(Wolff,197)? They feel comfortable enough with one another to talk like adults and share their innermost feelings, what true friends do and what I had thought Frank and Tub were incapable of. They even consider themselves real friends out loud: " 'Frank, when you've got a friend it means you've always got someone on your side, no matter what. That's the way I feel about it, anyway,' "(Wolff,198). Frank responds: ' "You don't know how good it feels to hear you say that,' "(Wolff,199). This furthers the idea that wherever they used to be along the line of friendship, now the relationship is more secure and the realization of how cherished it is is made known to both Tub and Frank. Over the course of just a short read, both characters seemed to have evolved immensely into a more loving friend to another, their personalities still silly but seemingly much more developed and changed due to their time spent together really sharing and talking with each other.

My Mistress' Eyes

William Shakespeare's poem: My Mistress' Eyes is ultimately about the speaker criticizing the lies of most love poetry and it's characterization of women, and the truth of his lover so contrasting from the perfect descriptions his ears have been fed. I found the poem to have a disappointed and somewhat harsh tone up until the final lines of the work. Throughout the gist of the work, the speaker describes his mistress as having "coral lips" over red, "dun breasts," "no roses in her cheeks," and "eyes nothing like the sun,"(Shakespeare,885). However negatively the mistress is portrayed thus, suddenly there is a shift symbolized with the words "and yet" which turns to the females side and womens' possible let down realization that men may not be who they thought either. I came to analyze the last two lines as meaning this because of the text: "And yet, by heaven. I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare,"(Shakespeare,885). This shows the common similarity that men and women often share high expectations and are taught lies which reality cannot live up to. I found that men and women must share this same downfall led on by this belief.

A Jury Of Her Peers

A Jury Of Her Peers, a short story by Susan Glaspell followed townsfolk in their search for evidence concerning the murder of John Wright and the likely suspect his wife, Minnie Foster. Initially, Minnie was portrayed as the obvious murderer, seemingly heartless for her motives, unaffected, unfeeling, and not in the least bit sorry for her gruesome actions of hanging her husband. Although, Minnie is completely responsible for her actions, later in the book I understood her motives more clearly and sympathized more strongly with her. The novel mentions Minnie's once pride in her appearance, dazzling while singing in the choir, all of which faded upon her marriage to John. So, it was no surprise she wanted a bird, one to sing like she once did. Mrs. Peter's notices this of Minnie saying: "I should think she would've wanted a bird,(Glaspell,420)! Personification is even used to compare Minnie to a bird: " '..She was kind of like a bird herself. Real sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and-fluttery,' "(Glaspell,421). Minnie was like a bird in her nature but also there is a connection between the fate of the bird and her husband. Just as John likely wrung the bird's neck, she did the same unto him, feeling like he may as well have did it to her, a bird too. Overall, I noticed this irony of the fate between the two and how Minnie felt John killed her, in that she never was the same after her marriage, changed by him, she got her revenge and killed him too.

Othello: the end, Othello's love for Desdemona?, happiness to die

In Act V Scene II of Othello by William Shakespeare, some reasoning is revealed for why Othello doesn't wish Iago to be killed once he finds out of Iago's lies. I had thought that upon the characters finding Iago out, that like throughout the novel lashing out in fighting would occur, one would want to kill another, and thus the play would assume the tragedy that it is. However, Othello says: "If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee..For in my sense, 'tis happiness to die,"(Shakespeare, V.ii.286&289). Othello sees Iago's dying as an easy way out, why not have him suffer through life, being detested, and a known criminal, then just be slain like the other characters. I honestly thought Iago was going to be one to not make it out of the play, but turns out that is Othello and many others, I think Othello wise in his desire for Iago to bear the punishment of living. Though, Othello himself must want the happiness of death, for he takes his life out of grief for having taking Desdemona's. I am only left pondering, so did Othello really love Desdemona and is this confirmed by his regret for killing her, thus feeling compelled to end his own life? Or, is Othello's love for Desdemona quite confused, considering he did feel angry enough to kill her to begin with?

Othello: Climax

Act V scene II of Othello by William Shakespeare reveals the heightened climax of the story. Emilia, one who appears earlier in the play to be tolerant of her husband Iago's rudeness, now speaks out against him, knowing Iago has been dishonest about Desdemona's infidelity, and calls her husband a liar. Desdemona tells Othello, who has been lied to the whole time and had believed Iago, thus Othello was driven to kill his wife after Iago told him of her affair that: "He lies to the heart..You told a lie, an odious, damned lie, upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie,"(Shakespeare, V.ii.155 & 179-180). Even though Emilia's calling out her husband creates controversy and of course, enrages Iago, and thus, she dies, Emilia proves to be the one loyal friend to another character in this play. Iago is certainly not a friend to Othello, lying to him and leading him to kill his wife. Iago is not a friend to Roderigo, who he lets die and who he does not take into account Roderigo's feelings for Desdemona and try to help him. Emilia knows Desdemona is a woman of undying devotion to the Moor, pure and steadfast to his love, serviant to the Moor's commands. Emilia will not die without letting the other characters know of this as well. Overall, the suspense which comes from the climax of Emilia revealing the truths, and them unfolding before the eventual deaths of Emilia and the Moor, as a reader I couldn't believe all that shortly came together. So much action packed tragedy packed into scene 2.

Othello: Dynamic Character Roderigo

In Act IV scene II of Othello by William Shakespeare, Roderigo actually approaches Iago impatient, unsatisfied, and upset with the outcome which has come after his chasing for Desdemona. So far, nothing is going anywhere, and he voices his frustration to Iago who, tries to reassure his uneasiness. Roderigo though, has put himself in poverty, desolate, after giving many jewels to Desdemona, or so he thought. "I have wasted myself out of means," (Shakespeare, IV.ii. 184-185). Iago who was supposed to deliver the jewels has claimed he has, saying she received them well. However, Roderigo will be convinced when he goes to see Desdemona, telling her for himself how he feels for her, and if she desires to return the jewels, he will know she has them. Roderigo is now a more dynamic character, changing from his once easily persuaded and slave to Iago's command, to a more defiant character, sticking up for himself and letting Iago know of his growing anger to the situation. He says in a annoyed voice: "I tell you 'tis not very well,"(Shakespeare, IV.ii.194). Still, Iago thinks Roderigo to still be one to fall into his trap, and wishes Roderigo to continue his dirty work, so that Iago can keep his hands clean. Iago's plan to have Roderigo kill Cassio will make it so that Roderigo seems to be troublesome, getting into fights and now killing Cassio. If Iago keeps getting others to do work for him, it will be hard in the end to tie Iago to any of the crimes at all.

Othello: Tone

In Act IV scene 1 of Othello by William Shakespeare, Iago tricks Othello into thinking that Cassio is gloating and bragging about his affair with Desdemona. While Othello hides listening to the two of them speak, Iago brings up Desdemona's name, then, in a hushed voice so that Othello can't hear changes the topic to being about Bianca. Othello who believes them to be talking of his wife still is taken back with a more fiery rage with Cassio's tone when talking about who Othello thinks is Desdemona. I noticed Cassio's tone, full of scorn, disregard, and disrespect. I find this especially important because the way Cassio speaks in conversation drives Othello to feel even more burning hatred for him. Othello, already devising to kill Cassio, is now more eager to: " How shall I murder him, Iago," (Shakespeare, IV.i.159)? So far, Iago is covering himself up well getting Othello to believe all the other character's are responsible for what Iago claims them to be. The handkerchief, brought in by Bianca during this conversation helped further Iago's lie that Cassio had it in his possession from Desdemona, after Bianca says she found it in Cassio's chambers. I am now only hoping in the next act to see Iago's lies come back to nip him, and the truth to be revealed, maybe even through the fed up and slave to Iago: Roderigo.

Othello: Theme & Dialogue

Act III Scene III of Othello, the Moor of Venice, by William Shakespeare, had a unique metaphor used by Iago in his dialogue with Othello. "Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss . Who, ceratin of his fate, loves not his wronger. But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er. Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves,"(Shakespeare, III.iii. 167-171 pg. 1409-1410)! The metaphor at the beginning of this line comparing jealousy and a monster holds some similarity, being both evils, and this shows Iago recognizes himself as horrendous and has a sick pleasure in his scheming. When he talks of the two different types of men who discover that their wives are cheating on them, he speaks first of the one who is not friends with the man the wife is having an affair with, and the other, loves his wife and though she cheats, continually loves her. Upon hearing this, Othello is moved to pity. I find this whole passage to be extremely clever in Iago hinting at and mentioning infidelity from a wife to her husband, and I also saw this as perhaps diplaying the theme. The theme of the wretchedness of jealousy and the role it plays in the relationship between husband and wife, and falseness tormeneted or not by suspicion.

Othello: Irony

While reading Othello, The Moor of Venice, by William Shakespeare, and noticing the vulgar and immature name calling that many of the characters' use toward another, I found some irony in one specifically. Throughout the book so far, antagonist Iago, a devious villain plotting revenge on naive Othello, actually calls himself honest, as do many other characters call him so. As readers know, Iago is quite the opposite of honest, lying to Othello and Cassio, for example, to gain their trust so he can frame them. Othello regards him as: "..most honest..Honest Iago,"(Shakespeare,II.iii.7&156 pg. 1392&1396). Othello even thinks Iago as showing love for Cassio by not wanting to rat him out after the brawl in the streets, though he does, and in reality, Iago shows no love and only wants to take over Cassio's office. As I knew I would, with this dramatic irony, I am easily becoming frustrated with the characters' cluelesness to all I know as a reader from Iago's plotting and insights revealed to readers. Though I know I can't jump in the story and give them warning of Iago's evil scheming, I wish the character's would be a little more careful to watch their backs.

Othello: Iambic Pentameter

When Iago's switch of prose to poetry in Othello, by William Shakespeare, and the moments when he does so was brought to my attention, I thought more deeply about why this iambic pentameter occurs. When addressing his fellow nobleman, or other characters, Iago presents himself as high and mighty, addressing those using poetry to reveal wit and nobility. However, this tone changes significantly to prose, a more emotion filled, relaxed, and less mature expression of his feelings, often revealing his plans and plots of revenge on other characters. This two sided view of Iago show his double ended personality in how he fakes himself to others, and his evilness is only understood in private. "How, How? Let's see. After some time to abuse Othello's ear,"(Shakespeare, II.i. 374-375 pg. 1382). This fake identity and falsehood is a commonality and trait that many readers can relate to knowing. I made a connection to "Mother Dearest." A sweet housewife and loving mother in front of others for show, and a reverse and completely contrasting personality of evilness at home.

Othello: Characterization

Upon reading chapter one and starting Othello, The Moor Of Venice, by William Shakespeare, I noticed quite quickly the use of characterization to introduce Othello. Iago, telling the story, reveals his plot of revenge towards Othello to the reader, while snickering about Othello's probable naievety towards it. Iago gives insight into Othello's personality by saying: "The Moor is of a free and open nature that thinks men honest,"(Shakespeare,1382). This develops the idea that the Moor (Othello) is a trusting man, never to suspect one to do him wrong. I sympathized with Othello upon reading this line because I knew Othello's trustfulness would be his downfall. How could Iago so heartlessly take advantage of such a noble and honest man? But, then again, Iago is the antagonist of the story, and is a most evil villain. Not only though does Iago reveal Othello's inner personality, but harshly criticizes his outward appearance, which give the reader knowledge of his race. Iago calls Othello "an old black ram...Devil...Barbary horse,"(Shakespeare,1365). This shows the racial discrimination and harshness of Iago and his judgemental nature, all just underlying jealousy.