blog #5 civil savagery

Heart of Darkness creates the idea of the savagery and "horror" of human nature and the inevitability of this savagery, even with the most "civilized" people. While the comparison is made between the people of the Congo river in Africa and the Thames in Europe in the novel and the Vietnamese and the American's during the Vietnam war, the ideas are almost the same. In the film, Americans are supposed to be the civilized ones while the Vietnamese are the savages, but by the end one can see the true savagery of the American soldiers. Heart of Darkness displays the darkness throughout the novel in both nations in order to show that even though one is thought to be bright and civilized compared to the other, they are both dark in their own ways. Constant dark and gloomy/disturbing images in Apocalypse Now give the same effect of the darkness that inevitably swallows humanity.

The darkness also represents the overall blindness humanity has to their inate savagery. The paradox of war displayed in the film is created with the idea that the Americans are supposed to be fighting for good and honor and to uphold the strong morals of America, but they're doing the opposite. The photographer and his staged pictures are used to show the pretty cover that civilized nations try to put over war to the people back home. The ignorance the Americans had back home of the gruesome and horrific war in Vietnam is similar to the European's ignorance to the craziness going on on the Congo. I was able to make the connection that all people have on the ignorance to the savage nature within all of us, and the attempts that are made to cover it up. Whether it be through imperialism or taking false pictures of something like war, the savagery is often attempted to be covered.

blog #4 - art creations

If these stories are "art," what makes them a creative activity both for the reader and the writer? Choose a story and discuss its creative aspects and what is available for interpretation.

Although all the stories we read could be considered creative for both the reader and the writer, the most creative story to me was "Rape Fantacies". All of the different "fanticies" explained by the different women in the story were somewhat yet creative in their own way. The author could have had all of these fanticies herself which would make writing the story not much of a creative activity. My though is that, especially for a couple of the fanticies, the author had to get pretty imaginative. Even though it is normal for people to think these sorts of things, it was creative of the author to create a story in which part of the way to get the message across is to include the thoughts and fanticies that are often not discussed, much less published. The fact that the author was aware that her use of humor with an often uncomfortable topic made this story quite creative in how it was written and the ideas it discussed. Her intention was to spark question and discussion, not only about her story but about rape in general, and with her creativity she did so well. Much like how one will never know the true intentions of an artist for a work of art, with this story, the reader is much like the viewer of a piece of art and is left with many questions and possible interpretations. While the author or artist puts their creativity into their work, the reader or viewer must put in their creativity to make their interpretations.

blog post #3- iago's a pyro

"Iago, as Harold Goddard finely remarked, is always at war; he is a moral pyromaniac setting fire to all of reality.......In Iago, what was the religion of war, when he worshiped Othello as its god, has now become the game of war, to be played everywhere except upon the battlefield."

To have a war there must be something inside of every warrior that drives it. In Iago's case, his jealousy was his fuel that kept his war machines running as well as what kept his internal fire burning for his god, Othello. When christains worship God, one can think of this worship as a type of jealousy, for it is every christian's goal to be more like god, just as Iago longed to be more like Othello.

This desire to be like Othello changed from being a passive religious war within himself to an active game of war. Iago wanted to be Othello. He loved and wanted Desdemona, he was jealous of his warrior reputation and his goodness as a person, not to mention other jealousy he had with characters such as Cassio who took his job. So much jealousy is acquired, that he finally has more than enough fuel to start the war fire. With one fire comes another. He has the capability of dousing everyone with the fuel for the fire, and keeping the fire manipulated and controlled...and even going where he wants it.

Iago's war tactics are those of guerilla warfare, not played openly and fairly on the battlefield for all to see, but by ambushing his enemies from behind- making them unaware of what has hit them. He destroys and alters everyone in his environment, and being the villain he is, enjoys it. Being a moral pyromaniac, he can not resist every chance to start up a fire... every chance to keep his plan going... burning all his sense of morality with it.

blog post #1 lyrics from the cheesecake chick

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance;
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

"When you were born, the world rejoiced while you cried. Live your life in such a way that, when you die, the world cries while you rejoice."

There'll be two dates on your tombstone,
And all your friends will read 'em,
But all that's gonna matter,
is that little dash between 'em.

One hundred percent of the shots you don't take don't go in.

Blog post #2- rex put me in check

After finishing Oedipus Rex, I have come to realize that there is more than one way to live and interpret life. Oedipus, who I did not care much for as a character throughout the play, ended up being somewhat of a hero in my eyes which I did not think would happen. When reading the play previously aware of the outcome, I did not think I would have the thoughts that I did afterwards. Though some people may see Oedipus as an evil man for killing his father and having children with his mother, he could not help it. Like everyone, he could not avoid his fate. Where he could have taken the easy way out like Iocaste and killed himself, he decided to blind himslef and live on with his fate. He had an eagerness to learn his fate and dealt with the consequences, even though the answers were not the ones that he preferred. In life, not everything turns out the way we want it. Whether or not our bad times are as severe as Oedipus's, we can choose to deal with what is put on our plate (or rather what we have put on our own plate) or we can take the easy way out and continually not take responsibility for our actions. I'm not saying that people should go to the extreme and gauge their eyes out, but I have come to walk away with the realization that in this world, one can eaither live as an Oedipus or an Iocaste. You can know your situation and try your best to take responsibility and move on when your life/fate isn't exactly how you wanted it, or you can choose to go through life avoiding the realities and always take the easy way out in tough situations.