English 117: Crouse-pack Reading

I really enjoyed the “Young Elizabeth in Peril” piece we had to read over the weekend. At first it reminded me of the paper we had to work on. I love how it starts out by talking about the different depictions of Elizabeth that have occurred over time. It is rather interesting to look back and see how everyone does portray Elizabeth in a different light compared to another author/ director. I also like how the article goes from describing the different portrayals of Elizabeth to actually going into detail (what can be proven at least) how what Elizabeth’s life was really like. After all, Elizabeth was a human just like rest of us- surely made mistakes. I see the points they make, but at the end when it is said, “[m]odern film representation… do not offer us a princess credited with wisdom and judgment, nor do we have depiction of a successful queen who could entertain both a rich private life as well as a publicly successful one,” (Levin and Carney, 234). I do not feel this is true. Yeah modern representations are going to focus on points that will draw an audience in, but I still feel that the message of Elizabeth being a powerful and smart queen who led her people into success is brought across in the end. I know that a lot of the readings and films we have been watching are focused on her sexuality and relationships with men, however, she still finds herself facing issues and having to make difficult decisions that are in her country’s best interest. It would be great to have a film that focused on Elizabeth as she truly was, a great queen devoted to her country but also human, but until someone steps up to do so, we are left with interpretations. Interpretations from reading pieces of writing from her and to her, the interpretations that directors/ authors view Elizabeth as, and the stories we hear about her.

English 144: Othello

I do not know about Othello yet. I am not very excited about reading this play. I think I feel this because I have no idea about what it is. With "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" and "The Taming of the Shrew," I had knowledge of what the plays were. I had seen movies that were based on those two plays, so I was am imagine ways in which each character presented themselves. With Othello, I have no idea what I am to expect. I find it interesting that Othello starts with the audience knowing nothing, and Roderigo coming onto stage in what seems to be in the middle of a conversation.
I think after "The Taming of the Shrew", I am just over Shakespeare plays for now. I am still upset about the way Petruchio treated Katherina. Maybe he was just playing a role all along, in order to tame her, but I feel he just took it over board. And so far this play, Othello, begins with the first scene having someone dislike on another person because of their race. I understand that back then it was not thought of as rude to do half, if not all, the things that are written in these plays but for today it is wrong. I just cannot find it within myself to continuously repeat that these are just plays. Anything where people are being put down because of their sex, race, class, etc, I get upset. I don’t know. I am hoping that by having no background information on this play that things get better and that it is an interesting read.

English 174: House of Mirth

Oh this Lily Bart is quite the character. I find myself imagining characters from a television show called Gossip Girl. It has the same plot as in this book really, the mixture between upper class and lower class. To me, Lily seems like such a snob. She knows that she longs for Selden, but because he cannot offer the type of life she wants, she gets these rich men to fall for her. Yet at the same time, when Selden decides he cannot be around her, for he has fallen for her, she gets upset. She wants to confine in him, but not really have a future. I don’t know. I just feel annoyed by her I guess. I think she needs to forget about society and go after love. It is not like Selden is living in a box on the side of the street. I mean, when she thinks of Selden she is happy and feels safe, yet with other men she has an uneasy emotion. I am just not the type of person who can get into the chase. Like with Persuasion, I just want the main characters to either get together or move on. I am liking this book a lot more than the others we have read though. I just find it easier to read, I do not feel like I have to reread everything twice or more before actually getting its true meaning.

English 174: Jude the Obscure

Whoa… What is there to even say about this book? It seems to be filled with disappointing outcomes. I do not like it all. I would rather read Persuasion then this book! I mean, poor Jude who can never get a true break. He finally gets Sue, but then the children commit suicide. Again he is thrown back into a relationship with Arabella. I do not understand how he even goes on throughout the whole entire book. I guess the good thing about this book is that it makes your own life seem so much better and easier to deal with. At least that is what it seems like to me. I know there is no fairytale endings in real life, but why make a story where nothing can end happy for anyone? I just think this book is a way to depress people. Yeah life is hard and people have lots of trouble struggling to make it, but good things happen as well. I guess that is shown though through the short times with Sue or when he has kids. There are a lot of people out there who do struggle and probably have a life similar to Jude’s. I just cannot get into stories like that, especially when I was told how depressing it is. I struggled to get through the book and to truly understand what was going on. I am thankful that we discuss the books in class and have spark notes so that when things do not make sense you are able to get more help.

English 117: Elizabeth I and Her Age

As I read the poem by Elizabeth,” When I Was Fair and Young,” and then some of the poems by others to her, I found them rather funny. Funny in the sense that Elizabeth is known for this woman who never married, turned so many suitors away, and lived “alone.” Yet in her poem, it is like she regrets it all. Maybe not regrets, for she saved her people which meant the most to her. I think she wished she could have had somebody by her side though. After readying some of the love poems written to Elizabeth, I think she was flattered a lot, which probably helped subdue the loneness, if she ever read them. That is when I thought of people reading them to her. For over the weekend in London, I read to Jenene. I started to read her, “When I Was Fair and Young” late one night. Jenene was not found of the poetry that was being read. I wonder if Elizabeth liked poetry read to her or was it more of a thing she liked write but nor read. Poetry can have so many meanings. I think it is a way to allow the writer to express their true emotions in maybe a way that is subtle. I could be wrong, but I think a lot of poetry is written in a way to convey a message, not just to have the words be read.

English 144: The Taming of the Shrew

I have not finished the play yet, however, after seeing the performance I do not like this play. I mean, even reading it so far, I have not liked the play. I thought Midsummer Night’s Dream was much better. I mean, since I have not finished the play I am not sure how it ends. In the performance, I liked how the evil Petruchio was really Sly and how he ended up back on the street with nothing! I know that sounds horrible. Let me explain. Sly, this guy who goes from nothing to everything begins to act like her is all the sudden better than everything. In the performance, he becomes or also acts as Petruchio who also is a jerk. I understand that Katherina was rude and a shrew. Lol. Yet, her fate was not what she deserved. Petruchio ruined her, at least at the performance. Making her act mad, not letting her sleep or eat, and basically treating her like a slave. I have a problem with things like that. I do not like when justice is not paid to the “bad guy.” I wanted Petruchio to be punched! I was really upset that in the end, Katherina conformed. Yes, I also now this was all just a play inside a play, but it is still upsetting. I just like the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, which had a good ending. Oh well. I am not looking forward to reading the rest of this play after seeing it.

English 174: Elizabeth I and Her Age

It is interesting to go from books and movies about Queen Elizabeth, to actually reading pieces of work she herself wrote or said. I think her speech about marriage is one that ties everything together. I mean, in everything we have seen or read about Elizabeth in class so far, the main topic is her marriage. Whether her counsel is telling her to marry, she is using the marriage card to play suitors against each other, how she cannot marry Robert, how she does not need to marry, or when she finally declares she is married to England. After all, Elizabeth was known as the “Virgin Queen” who never married. So it is interesting to see how she used the words to basically tell her counsel that she is in no rush to marry. She talks about how God put her on the throne right now, that it must be his plan to make a woman England’s monarch. Then she says how it is not that she objects to marriage, but that right now the time is not right for her to marry. Right now, it is her people she cares most about… It is her people that give her the strength to fight illness, to not fear the threats on her life, and to be the best Queen she can for them. I just like how we are able to see what has really happened in Elizabeth’s life, instead of trying to sort out truth from lies (to sell more products).

English 144: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I know what I am about to say is from Act Three, but I keep thinking about it throughout the rest of the play. I find it so odd that Helena, who first had no one interested in her and was all sad about it, turns into such a mean girl once both boys are after her. I mean, when both Lysander and Demetrius were after Hermia she was not rude to Helena. Now I get that Helena at first thinks she is being made a fool, with everyone pulling a joke on her. However, when she begins to insult Hermia and Hermia gets ready to fight her, she uses the boys’ affection to protect herself! What kind of nonsense is that?! I’m just glad that at the end everyone is back with who they should be with, even the fairies. Although I still think Oberon should have never had Puck get into the middle, for it only made everything worse. Without Puck though, there would not be much of a play, so it was necessary. After all that crazy stuff, it is hard to believe that it actually has a happy ending! I like happy endings, so it made this play that much better.

English 174: Jude the Obscure

I am honestly having a lot of trouble with this book. I do not get what the point is at all. Granted I have no read much of it, only a few chapters so far. However, the language just seems odd to me. Plus this Jude character… why does he not belong? He is like living with his aunt right now because his parents died, but his aunt seems to treat him like a servant. He does not seem to talk at all. Is he into books? Was it him that they were talking about who reads whenever he can? For they wanted him to leave with the teacher, yet when he wants to go on his own his aunt won’t let him because of the city. I thought it was sad how he felt like he was like the birds, not wanted. I do not get why if he is unwanted and everyone acts like he is such a burden, why can’t he just go and be with the teacher? He would be better off, and possibly his aunt. The whole thing seems very odd. I’m not sure how much of the book I will really understand, so I hope that we will be having lots of discussions in class!

English 117: The Virgin’s Lover

What are the major differences between the movie story of Elizabeth’s life and a fictional book point of view?

I find the differences between the two very fascinating. Elizabeth, in my opinion, is portrayed as two very different people when comparing the movie “Elizabeth” to the book The Virgin’s Lover by Philippa Gregory. In the movie, Elizabeth seems to be a very young and naive girl. She acts of like a child when the country needed a leader. She publicly displayed her love for Sir Robert by meeting with him in private, dancing, constantly touching, and whispering to one another. She took the advice given to her without real question, until the end when she finally followed her own beliefs. It seemed as if she had to be betrayed before she could become the woman that history knows her for.

In The Virgin’s Lover however, Elizabeth seems much more aware of her surroundings. She makes difficult choices from the beginning, is clever, and knows how to play the system so that her country will benefit. Her relationship with Sir Robert is different in the book. Even though she knows of his marriage to another, she finds herself falling in love with him. An intimate relationship is formed between the two, but in a much more respectable way. They don’t publicly display their love for everyone to see, but act in secret.

I feel like the book version of Elizabeth is more like how a new Queen would have acted with politics, romance, and danger. Elizabeth, in my point of view, was a clever woman who at first might have stumbled but for the most part knew how to work a crowd. I find it so interesting reading the story of Elizabeth in a fictional way (however it seems more real) and also seeing a movie based on her (which seems more fictional).

English 144: A Midsummer-Night’s Dream

What was Shakespeare thinking when he came up with such a play? Or was it really Elizabeth who wrote these plays?

As I read A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, I cannot help but wonder what was happening to Shakespeare at this time in his life. For what made him think of lovers running away because of a father’s hate, to be part of a game in the fairies’ world. It seems too that in each world there is at least one couple that faces challenges. We have Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius in the human world. Lysander and Hermia love one another but are driven to flee their homes because Hermia’s father does not approve. Demetrius, for some reason, has stopped wooing Helena and has turned his affection to Hermia. This leaves Helena hurt and jealous for no one loves her. At the same time, we have actors for a play trying to figure out where to rehearse and if everything is ready for their practice of a play. Then we have the fairies. The queen (Titania) and king (Oberon) face a problem. Oberon is jealous of Titania’s attention to this “changeling boy.” As Oberon tries to have Titania give him up but fails, all three worlds get ready to crash into one.

There is so much going on at once! What was going in Shakespeare’s life that would allow him to create such a complex and creative story? In a way it reminds me much of Queen Elizabeth’s life (so the whole conspiracy of Shakespeare being fake would almost seem real). Elizabeth has everyone waiting for her hand in marriage, that she plays them around in order to successfully get what she wants. Much like Titania, she will not give up what she wants because a man requests her to do so. Or if you look at it from Hermia, with both men wanting her, you could see Elizabeth as the desired one. Every man wanting her, leaving other women (Helena) scornful and jealous, just as Amy felt when Robert choose the Queen over her.

There is so much going on in this one play, that it is hard to believe that something did not influence or spark the idea for it. I do not doubt that Shakespeare was real; however the idea of it being like Queen Elizabeth’s life is most enticing to me. Though Andy made a lot of sense on how Elizabeth could not have been the pen behind the mask. I am left to wonder though want mayhem was happening back then or if Shakespeare was am to jest create such a marvelous story all in his head.

English 174: Persuasion

Why does Jane Austen make Anne face so many different situations and not seem to improve/ learn from any?

In Persuasion, I feel that Jane Austen has Anne constantly facing some new situation, like being left while her family moves to Bath, being a “therapist” to her friends at Uppercross, and then having to be in the same social group as her former fiancé (whom she still loves). There are all these situations Anne has to go through, yet her character does not seem to change to me.

When her family moves to Bath and she is left with her sister and his husband, she begins to get caught up in their marriage as long as their social life. Her sister and brother-in-law do not have the best marriage, and while Anne is there she gets caught in the middle. Both turn to Anne to have her convince the other. They complain about how and what the other does. Anne knows she cannot win either way, so seems to stay quiet and just try to push it off. However, her brother-in-law’s family turns to Anne too, complaining about Mary (Anne’s sister). Again Anne is caught in the middle, but does nothing. I understand she cannot be rude and tell them to shut up or talk to one another. However, at the same time I feel like there must be something the character can do to move on from that.

Her former relationship with Fredrick Wentworth frustrates me as well, for she is not able to move on with him there. When Fredrick enters the picture once more, it is like her world stops. However, both try to act like nothing has ever happened between them. Which is one way to try to move on, but that is not case here. By acting like their past never existed, Anne goes out of her way to avoid him and try to make sure no one else can suspect a thing. This only keeps Anne trapped. She needs to either move on from him or find a way to get him back. It must be hard watching him with other girls and be treated like a no one, but I see this as a way for her to escape her past.

I just do not see where Jane Austen wants to take Anne. She keeps Anne constantly caught in the middle of some problem or situation, and before Anne can move on from it she is already in another issue. I want to see Anne move on from where she is at. I just do not understand the purpose of Anne if she is meant to never grow. Hopefully that changes soon though.