breaking out of the template

Okay, so it seems like for as long as I could remember The Tempest has always been there. Which, if you think about it, is ridiculously sad because it’s been such a constant topic that I don’t remember a time before it *cough*Big Brother*cough* and cause my memory is such in a horrible state that it can’t recall a time without The Tempest.

So with all this talk of colonialism and such, my desire to watch Pocahontas keeps growing, it also probably doesn’t help that Choua insists on singing the chorus of “Colors of the Wind” regularly during 1^st period. In all seriousness though, you should listen to the song because it’s relevant and inspiring. I’m actually listening to it right now as I write this blog, although I’d rather be sleeping. However, I can’t sleep cause after this I’ve got to do my math homework *sigh* I feel enslaved by my homework. Hmm… connections, are our teachers the “Prosperos” of our world? And are we nothing but “savages” to do their will?

In our discussions of The Tempest, one main controversial issue that has kept creeping back has always been in regards to the interpretation of the text itself. It’s as if people have taken it upon themselves to psychoanalyze the brilliant mind that is William Shakespeare.  On one side of the metaphorical line are those who argue that The Tempest, or any literary work for that matter, should be read as it is written and that things should be kept at the superficial. For example, George Will sees any “political” interpretation, basically anything under the surface meaning, as an act that is more dangerous than foreign adversaries. On the other side of said line are those who believe in an open interpretation. Such as Stephen Greenblatt, who insists that students should be given the opportunity to explore the text. Some believe that the world is made of butterflies and rainbows and that we should all love each other and not argue about The Tempest so that students all over the world can get a proper night’s sleep without nightmares of essays and articles, but I digress.

As a student I think it’s my time to talk and take the soap box. I believe that we should be given the opportunity to analyze things by ourselves. We should be able to interpret things by our own standards and no one else’s. Learning is at its very best when it is given free reign. It is when we are able to consider and look at all the different perspectives in the world and make it our own, that we are at the epitome of our learning. When we are given freedom, we are able to explore places others can’t even imagine. We are able to look at things with our own eyes and make our own metaphorical adventure. When we are not constricted by these standards that others have stressed, that is when we can fully grow and bloom into a beautiful and knowledgeable flower.

There shouldn’t be a “right” or “wrong” way to answer and see things. It is impossible for such a thing to exist since everyone has their own unique perspective on things, thus they have their own versions. When we start telling people how they should or shouldn’t learn, we will no longer forward. We will be stuck at the very best. Without the ability to learn freely then there is no room for progress, it is when ideas can flow without constriction that they can fully develop.

When we are given the chance to see things by ourselves and create our own opinion, we are able to create our greatest works. When we do things because we can and not because we should, then it is then that we are able to create things we are proud of. When we are given the “right” way to do things, it only serves to constrict our ability to grow and move forward. Instead of creating something beautiful, we create a shoddy piece of “work” just because we were told to. Defining the “right” way to read and interpret things is like claiming an “absolute truth” it is impossible to do so and it is futile to try.

I have hit 2 am and now the song “Breathe (2 am)” by Anna Nalick is stuck in my head. Forgive my ramblings but I have given myself complete freedom to write what is on my mind. I believe it is the best way to grown, not only as a person but as a student. Try not to think too much about what is expected of you by others, but instead think of what you expect from yourself because then you will have a purpose to become more than what you are now.

to say i love harry potter would be an understatement

so after talking about harry potter during lit and all of its amazingness i figured i should post a few vids that i have found on youtube that relates to harry potter. sadly one was removed *sigh* but luckily these still remain.

at 1:45... story of my life

teaspoons need love too, they're capable

need help?

the epic truth about life

anyways i hope you've enjoyed these videos that have done such a great job at keeping me from staying on track like a responsible student. if i were smart i would start my math hw now but i think ill just waste my time on something thatll prolly involve harry potter in some way... this is why i dont get sleep.

criticizing criticisms

After wasting the weekend away, and today to for that matter, I finally decided to buckle down and get to work. I went on to print out the article and the next thing I know I’m on itunes downloading a song and putting it on my ipod. After listening to sad song multiple times, I finally decided to read the actual article. Now that I’ve read it I can’t help but think “why didn’t I just keep listening to the nice song?” after a bit of confusion I was finally able to process the information I just read, although I feel like I’ve lost years of my life.

Maybe it’s some weird imperialistic thing, this new and “better” information has come into my brain and since it sees itself as being superior it has now decided to pillage my brain of all precious information and claim itself the new ruler (or main focus). Thus I can no longer recall anything else except confusing words… Who am I? Perhaps I’m one of those “domestic forces with which [Lyne Cheney] must deal” with which are “less dangerous, in the long run,” than “the foreign adversaries [Cheney’s] husband, Dick, must keep at bay” according to George Will that is.

From what I gather, and keep in mind that I’m just a domestic literary terrorist, I’m not allowed to criticize and analyze literary works so that I don’t “strip literature of its authority [since] criticism displaces literature and critics displace authors as bestowers of meaning.”  I’m not sure I fully understand Will’s position in this whole thing? Why is it so horrible to criticize works from a “political” perspective? We all come from various backgrounds and from various beliefs, so who are we to judge which is right and which isn’t? We all look at things through different lenses and it’s what makes the world move forward. If we were to conform to a single ideology, then there would be no room for improvement. It is when we analyze, when we disagree, when we argue, that we can learn and move forward to a better tomorrow. Besides, disagreements make life a bit more interesting.

I will have to agree with Stephen Greenblatt that “art, the art that matters, is not cement... [and that] poets cannot soar when their feet are stuck in social cement.” I believe that when one is able to freely express their opinions, then they can grow to their full capacity. I think that any form of literary work is, in essence, a form of art. It springs forward from the imagination and the mind of the writer. Using their own unique view they are able to share with the world something new in which another can take and learn from. It is when knowledge can flow freely that we can achieve our true potential. Just think about these blogs for example, if you write them purely for the sake of getting it done and getting your grade then you are more likely to just come up with some half-arsed piece of work. However, if you truly feel inspired then you will probably come up with something that you are truly proud of, even if others might not agree. Granted a lot of people just feel neutral, but it’s hard to argue that we don’t produce better work when we feel like it is for our own selves and not because we are being forced to.

So why hinder people’s creative freedom? Why criticize people for how they look at things? We are all entitled to our own opinions. Instead of criticizing other people’s criticisms, why don’t we just embrace them and learn from them? Whether it be learning what to do or what not to do, in the end it’s all learning.

I believe that this is my shortest posting ever... I can’t believe that it’s only a page long… don’t criticize...

an intro to awesomeness

so ive been in a very Harry Potter mood lately... well even more so than usual. anyone who knows me knows that i absolutely love and adore Harry Potter. so in preparation for my next posting i shall post this video. this is going to be a very short clip in comparison to my next posting which will be filled with epicness! so heres a lil Harry Potter intro for yall. enjoy :D

Harry Potter and a British guy, what more could you want? i know...

to be superior is inferior

I’m well into the new day and have yet to sleep, yet I am as energetic as if I had just slept the whole night. It’s a bit weird to be honest, I was tired during midday and I’m quite awake past midnight. Perhaps its energy from the Colts game Sunday night or maybe it’s from the energy I received from reading the wonderful words of Shakespeare, either way I better start focusing now before I crash and pass out.

For as long as I’ve been interested in history, I have been interested in the different perspectives of it. I always wondered how those from the other side saw the events in history. How they saw the events in time differently from the American perspective. Although I never really pursued finding an answer to my curiosity, I was able to see other perspectives from documentaries, my fellow peers, and of course what I know of the Philippine history from when I went to school there. Despite my lack of proper knowledge, I did know that within the different countries were different narratives of the same story.

It seems to be an occurrence in American history to paint the “White Americans” as the hero and the “Native Savages” as the villain. It was as if they felt a sense of superiority towards others simply because they thought themselves to be “better” and more “knowledgeable.” This sense of superiority could come from a variety of things from using the Bible as their excuse or by claiming that their educational background gave them the right to “educate” others of a less knowledgeable background.  I digress.

The story of the foreigners coming in to some new land and taking over the original inhabitants using their so called savagery as an excuse has been the plot of many forms of literary work and video. Caliban was the original inhabitant of the island, given to him by his deceased mother Sycorax. The island was his and it always had been and always would be… that is until Prospero and Miranda washed up into the islands shores. The dethroned Duke and Princess saw themselves superior to the “savage” Caliban. They took it upon themselves to enslave him and “improve” his life by destroying his culture and replacing it with their own. The dominant class had their dominant view that the minority shall live in “silence. Live quietly, work quietly, think quietly. The message sent to these ‘Others’ by the dominant culture has been clear and consistent – conform and be quiet; deny yourself and all will be well” (Bressler 234). Whenever Caliban protested to Prospero’s commands and wishes he was threatened with punishment or was punished without warning. Obedience was the only way to be free of pain and suffering. The story of Caliban is a perfect exemplification of the classic story of the “better” race improving the “savage” natives. He represents every nation and population that was taken over by those who saw themselves superior. Just like the Native Americans were seen as savages by the new immigrants from Europe, so was Caliban seen as a savage by Prospero.

Upon seeing Caliban for the first time Stephano immediately sees him as “some monster of the isle with four legs who hath got, as I take it, an auge… if I can recover him and keep him take and get to Naples with him, he’s a present for any emperor that ever trod on the neat’s leather” (98). Without even knowing him, Stephano already saw him as a lesser being and a possession. Caliban was inferior and thus his property to be controlled, used, and sold if it was his wish. He was different “and for the reason he deserved to be ruled” (Bressler 240). He didn’t even have to think twice of his decision; he was automatically better due to his origin. If you think about it, this sense of imperialism has been the driving force of the American culture and even that of some of the more powerful European nations.

In regards to the writing of one William Shakespeare, I think he lives it open to interpretation depending on who is reading The Tempest the understanding will be different, after all each person makes up their own minds and opinions and thus see things differently. One can see Caliban as the oppressed Native fighting to survive against the cruel control on the foreign invaders. Another might see it as the horrible savage being educated by the superior foreigners. I think that Shakespeare wrote this play so that it could appease both sides, who’s to say one is better than the other.

Caliban is a perfect representation of the Native taken over by the “superior” race. However, who are we to decide who is superior or inferior. At the end of the day we are all the same and come from the same humble beginnings. Why should we let the norms of society define who we are? What one person might find inferior and thus negligible can be another person’s most prized possession. We all see things through different eyes and no two people share the exact same view of things, so how can there ever be a “savage.” If we keep on this path, if we keep treating others as if they were lesser beings, then how are we ever going to progress into a better future? If we remain in what the past has ingrained in us, how can we move?

You might think you are superior, but keep in mind that somewhere in the world you are seen as inferior.

of quidditch and the colts

looking back at my blog post i have come to realize something, theyre all so extremely long! so i decided to post something short and entertaining, in my standards :]

a few days ago i had a pretty in depth conversation with a friend of mine about the different aspects of the brilliant world of harry potter, thus it led me to this video which i shall now share with you guys :] i know know my future

also tonight was the night that Peyton Manning and the Colts played Eli Manning and the Giants. it was a brilliant game and i got some pretty weird looks from bagel :P its not my fault i can get really into the games sometimes. so i spent sunday night watching the game and ive been wearing my jerseys(yes i meant plural) since this morning, although now im just wearing regular clothes and my COLTS! hat. i also made some of my amazing brownies. look at it, yumm... you can practically taste the amazingness, especially if youre one of the special people that has actually had the pleasure of having these.

 

anyways back to the amazing COLTS! game, here are some pictures of some amazing players who are amazing

Peyton Manning in action

      

Dallas Clark who caught a 50 yard touchdown pass

 The brilliant Austin Collie

you know you wanna be that ball

so its still a bit long but thats just cause of the pictures... pfft its not my fault that i tend to ramble. either way i hope you found some sort of amusement from that. if not my dalek will come and attack you!

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

manipulation at its best

Manipulation has existed in the world for as long as we have. It is with manipulation that we are able to obtain what we want in life. Granted some are far more successful that others, while some try and live a more honest life. However, it is inevitable that we use manipulation at one point in our lives. While at the core manipulation is still manipulation, the methods in which you can bring about manipulation are gargantuan. It can be as simple as pouting your lip and putting up a sad front in order to convince your parent to get you whatever whim you have at the moment. Perhaps it can be something as drastic as playing with someone’s emotions, from fear to love, so that they will follow your every command. Or possibly using something as simple as your words in order to hypnotize others into your control. We might not always result to the use of manipulation as a means to get what we want, but at some point in our lives we will fall into the temptation of manipulation.

If one can be so adapt at controlling the emotions of others, he can become as powerful as a man can possibly be. Prospero was a man so clever with his words that he was able to control those around him by using their emotions against them. Through his ability to speak in a way that was beneficial to his will, he was able to control the emotions and actions of his daughter Miranda, his spirit helper Ariel, and his slave Caliban.

Prospero used manipulation in order to cause the storm that brought his enemies from the ship to be cast ashore. However, he didn’t do this task completely alone. With the help of his spirit helper, Ariel, he was able to execute his plan accordingly, and it was through his clever and manipulative words that he is able to bend Ariel to his will. Prospero reminds Ariel of how he found him imprisoned in a tree with his “groans of ever angry bears. It was a torment did make wolves howl and penetrate the breasts to lay upon the damned, which Sycorac could not undo again. It was [his] art, when [he] arrived and heard [him], that made gape the pine and let [him] out” (36). By retelling the story of their past he was able to make Ariel’s emotions fresh within his mind. It caused a refreshed sense of gratefulness and also a great deal of guilt for complaining about helping the one who had freed him from such a grave fate. With the fresh sense of emotions running through him, Ariel was once again in complete and full control under Prospero. Prospero’s threat of re-imprisonment for disobedience and Promise of freedom for obedience also caused Ariel to fall under his spell.

Prospero was also able to manipulate his own daughter to see him as the epitome of good by telling her the stories of their past and how they came about to the island. He told her about how his brother, her uncle, had wanted to be the one in complete control as the Duke of Milan that he set them out to see on “a rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged, nor tackle, sail, nor mast. There they [hoisted them] to cry to th’ sea that roared to [them] to sigh to th’ winds whose pity, sighing back again, did [them] but loving wrong” (24). He told the story in such a manner that it would appeal to her sympathies. It would cause her to feel a great sense of gratitude for her father that had suffered through the sea and protected her so that they may reach the safety of land. Thus, by gaining further sympathy and gratitude, he was able to exceed further control over her.  He appeared to his daughter as the essence of good and her protector. This reverence towards her father served as fuel in his control over her.

Prospero was also able to manipulate Caliban into his servant by using the events of the past. Upon disobedience Prospero began to angrily go over their past. How Prospero had “used [him], filth as [he was], with human care, and lodged [him] in [his] own cell till [he] didst seek to violate the honor of [his] child” (42). He told him of how he treated him with such kindness yet he was horrible enough to try and abuse his daughter. By bringing up the past he was able to once again gain control of Caliban. The anger and passion in his words cause Caliban to recoil into submission, albeit a bit reluctantly. He was able to exert his power through his words and thus get what he wanted.

Just as The Party controlled Oceania through various types of manipulation, so did Prospero towards the people around him. By using the past to his advantage and using people’s emotions to assist him he was able to control them. Just as The Party altered the past in order to ensure that Big Brother remained as the supreme being that was always right.

Simply by changing your tone of voice and altering how you say things you can be given the opportunity to control others. It can be something as simple as getting a small object or as big as gaining a group of followers. It is through our words that we become powerful. Our words give us the ability to obtain what we want. It is with our words that we can manipulate others in order to make them feel or think what we want them to. If we are not careful we may fall into manipulation and never even know of it.