Of Tempers and Scandals

      One thing I found quite odd in this weeks reading of Oedipus Rex was Oedipus's temper.  The people of  his city adore him and aren't afraid to sit on his steps to wait for him and to tell them what they feel.  For someone so loved though, he has an awfully short fuse. He was killed Liaos and his men over a simple dispute of asking him to move in the street, he yells at the old blind oracle when he doesn't like his words, tries to exile or even kill his friend/brother-in-law/adviser(/uncle) for suspicious of plotting against him thought he has no proof or motive, he yells at his wife when she tries to get him to leave the Shepard alone, and he has the old Shepard man physically restrained when he doesn't think he will cooperate. This is a man with definite anger issues. Furthermore, they aren't even fits of rage, they are calm and controlled according to his brother -in-law. He described him as calm as he tried to accuse him of treason when Oedipus's attendant tries to say that Oedipus wasn't in his right mind when he spoke. If he is so quick tempered and impulsive, how did he become such a successful and beloved leader? In our group discussion, my group suggested he wears a mask in public and only lets his temper out in private. It makes sense, but what is “private”? There is obviously many people around when he is with is wife and is confronted by the messenger, and then later the Shepard and Oedipus's guards are also present. Does that seem “private” to you? Do people simple accept Oedipus's temper or is it the pressure of searching for the king's killer and finding out his past simple causing his mask to shatter?

Flannery O'Connor, May I have your hand?

 


   When I saw we were reading Flannery O'Connor stories this week, I'm not going to lie, I was thrilled. I had read her work before in my Creative Writing class so I knew what to expect. She takes people down to their lowest place, then kicks them in the face with the holy foot of God. Her stories have a sort of emotionally purging effect as she takes these characters down so low that they can finally look up and see God's face, can notice their own flaws.
     Of the two stories we read, I can't say which I preferred. In A Good Man is Hard to Find, the twisted character of Manly Pointer breaking the arrogant Hulga/Joy and stealing her prosthetic leg is just...appealing to me. Not in a way that I want to meet this character, but in the sense that this is a moment that stays with you after you read it. It makes you step back and just say "What?!" or even "Wow". In Good Country People I was struck by how even in such a short story, each character had such a distinct personality and flaw... And how even the Misfit was someone I could see my own qualities in.
     What a writer this woman is. I wish I could write like her, with the ability to both engross and shock people. Alas, my hand doesn't seem to let such words flow. Perhaps I could just borrow her hand, let something so profound and grotesque become my own creation with her fingers and words. Perhaps she'd even get a kick out of that- rolling over in her grave as I talk about stealing her twisted stories by twisted means. (Though it also sounds a bit like Im asking her to marry me...)

     As a final thought, I found a few short films based off her stories. Of course as the saying goes, the book is better. But The actors portray the characters differently than I imagined so I enjoy the new perspective(even with film's questionable quality)

Makeup blog: To laugh or not to laugh, that is the question.

     I'm quite relieved that I am not the only person to find a drink child amusing. Yes, it's wrong. Yes, it's mildly disturbing, but yes, the story  The Drunkard made me laugh.  In my life, I've seen alcohol at it's highs and lows. As a kid I remember several occasion of loving when my family was intoxicated and would roll around on the floor and play with me or start randomly dancing in the street! But I also remember hating it when the drinks would give my family members a short fused temper or send them and their families into a whirlpool of trouble and saddness.  Seeing what bad it can do kind of makes me feel guilty for even laughing  at this story. I mean, here is a kid who from such a young age is already following in his alchoholic father's footsteps- which, if the mother is anything to go by, has not exactly been a good thing in their lives.  So should we -I- be amused by this story?  I know it's intended to be humorous.... And apologizing to a wall for running into it is funny... But is the story itself, truely funny?

Makeup blog: Sometimes Words Aren't the Most Important Thing

     A few weeks ago in class we read a story called "Hills Like White Elephants". I found it...interesting. It centered on a couple who were talking about the female getting an abortion, though the author never explicitly states thats what they were discussing.  It made me think about how  much unspoken xminication WE have, how much we imply rather than say or how important things like using gestures, expressions, or simply knowing a person is  to a conversation.  I know of an outside party were to listen in on me and my friends conversations, they would likely be completely lost( seeing as we tend to substitute many nouns or adjectives with  gestures and sounds).
"Did you see it?! The *handgesture*?!"
"Yes! It was so *squeal*  with the-"
"*nodding*and the *noices AND handgestures,"

     This is why I'm quite impressed with the authors ability to effectively show what is going on. Especially for such a short story, the relationship between the characters was clearly demonstrated and it had intriguing examples of symbolism and imagery.  I was even farther surprised to learn this story was written in the former half of the 19th century. The context and their reactions still work in an modern setting. It seem that even as time has progressed, peoples relationships and people themselves have not.

Blog makeup: Why, theme?

     Why, oh why, is theme so hard? Both a a reader an a writer I find myself struggling with this concept. What do I want people to get out of a piece I write? What do others want me to get out of what they wrote?  It seems I'm experiencing a bit of a communication barrier between readers and writers.
     When we talk about theme in class, I seem to follow pretty well.  When someone tell me what they think the theme is, I can reason through why it works in doesn't (in my own opinion).  Once I try my own hand however,  Words seem to fail me- as does Understanding.  What I saw as wrong or write in another's theme  I can't seem to make heads or tails of in my own.
     I remember back in elementary school when Theme was a moral or even just one word.  Gee, thank you dear teachers for teaching exactly what high school says theme ISN'T.  Now we are to avoid morals, cliches and anything specific.  I was taught writing was supposed to be specific? It is in all cases besides theme statements.
     I'm truely astounded by how much thought REAL writers put into their pieces, or how English teachers can all recognize  the same themes in a piece. I can only hope by the end of this year I overcome this struggle and can easily create a good theme statement before the AP exam.....

Dictionary Please!

Ironic: containing or simplifying irony; unexpected.

Amazing: Causing great surprise or sudden wonder.

     One thing I've noticed that Mr. Mullins loves to do, is point out the misuse of words. Twice now, he's given us blog suggestions pertaining to the incorrect usage of words- stemming from Alanis Morisette's misuse of "irony" and from this article about  the slang usage of "amazing". Now, I am all for proper usage and education youth, but what both the article and Mr. Mullins seem not to recognize is that as these words become common slang, though it may not follow it's original meaning, people still know what you're trying to say when said word is used. It takes on a new definition.

     The writer of the article say's he doesn't understand when someone uses the word "amazing", simply because it has so many connotations. While I agree that the word is vague and should be something to avoid in academic writing, simply knowing that someone uses the word amazing to mean a positive attribute or that it was pleasurable, is usually for someone to follow their meaning in a casual conversation.

     Words change meaning all of the time. For instance, the word "gay" used to have nothing to do with homosexuality, it simply mean happy. Now we associate it with liking the same sex or even something lame or stupid in some cases. Even the word "rap" used to be short for rapport and mean to converse with someone, now it's   the name of a style of music. Hot meant temperature, not attractiveness.  Lame was a physical impairment, not something "uncool". Bomb was an exploding device, not a adjective describing something exciting and pleasing. The list goes on forever. 

     Slang words have never quite made sense- and probably never will. But for the most part, we still understand what they mean. I see no problem with telling someone they're amazing when they do something nice for me, because I think of them in high regard, not because I'm surprised at their kindness. They too will understand the sentiment. No, I won't use words like “hot” or “amazing” in an academic essay. Not out of fear for misuse, but because it's too informal to include slang terms. I sincerely thank Mr. Mullins and Philip Goldberg for making sure I- and others- know the proper dictionary definition of terms, and I promise to try to use them properly in a formal setting, but tomorrow, I will still be roaming the school halls with my friends talking about how “amazing” the new season of Supernatural is.