Month: November 2018

All the family members and Gregor Sama himself think the transformation happens instantaneously as an accident; however, there is always underlying risks causing this transformation that Gregor was exhausted of his dreary work, but he has to work because so many family members depend on his income.

Money seems to the most important and only concern in this family including Gregor himself.  Gregor is more regarded as an instrument rather than a beloved family member. I am wondering without this physical transformation, would everything keep going as usual? Would all the family members live in peace with themselves? I am afraid the answer is no. “What a demanding job I’ve chosen!” “This getting up early makes a man quite idiotic. A man must have his sleep.” He began psychological transformation much earlier than the physical transformation. This physical transformation is an undeniable time for all the people in his family to break their living patterns and force Gregor to stop his actions. I think if we are against our true will, the physical world would undoubtedly make us experience disasters whether through sickness, transformation or any other kind of accidents.

“Still, who knows whether that mightn’t be really good for me.” I am so sad to read this sentence. Gregor has already expressed his true feelings towards this job, which he thinks is meaningless and exhausting; but he must persuade himself to believe there is possibly a good reason for him to keep doing it. He could not allow himself to be fully genuine to himself due to too many standards and pressures from the world out of him.

2:04 – 5:15

In this video, Professor Bernstein provides introductions and guidance about reading Bartleby. What really interests me is that she poses a series of questions that readers may not be conscious of during reading, which are not only about the characters’ characteristics but also about readers themselves’ thinking process. For example, “Do you feeling frustrated when reading this story? “”What expectation do you have when entering into stories?” “what sort of message the story is conveying?”

I agree with her idea that the writer Herman Melville questioned people’s ability to really know anyone else. In Bartleby, few people have interests to understand Bartleby, like the narrator; most of them have never tried to know more about Bartleby’s inner world. The presupposition of knowing anyone else is the motivation to know about him/her; however, individuals are too busy to spend their time on others. Everybody is controlled by some kind of powers to work unconsciously. Even for people like the narrator who has interests and tries to know Bartleby, it is sad that Bartleby does not want to say anything about himself and the reason behind his “I preferred not to.” In reality, when people who are willing to tell his or her stories and when listeners have interests in the stories, there is still a gap between speakers and listeners due to many causes like empathy capability, personal experience and so on. Actually, I did not have the feeling of frustration when reading this story like the professor raised. I allow my incompetence, and I accept that human is mysterious.

This video also provides an important logic that readers should apprehend this story, from different perspectives and various standpoints, setting aside biases and presupposed views. The narrator thought himself is mercy and kind enough, but what is real intent behind his action? Is it based on the pure ethnic or other benefit-cost analysis? Does Bartleby behave so because of his firm stand of fear of change? All the questions or assumptions, I believe nobody could have a certain answer including the characters themselves.

The plot is kind of absurd; however, it is a miniature of the modern world. Everyone is restrained is this or that domination, none truly enjoys freedom from his or her bottle of heart. Maybe the happiest moment for Bartleby is when he died and he could finally do something he prefers to do.

The development in this great work is magnificent and intense; however, this song is super relaxing and light, I chose it mainly because I enjoy its rhythm and melody the first time I heard it.

This song is compromised iconic scenes in Don Quixote. The symbols in Don Quixote, like the horse, windmills and books, could be references in both Chivalrous ages, the 20th century when the song was written, or today.

“He is wild but he is mellow; he is strong but he is weak; he is cruel but he is gentle; he is wise but he is meek.” The lyrics show how controversial Don Quixote is. He embraces so many characteristics, and I think he is a real human with beliefs in honor and love. I highly admire idealist who has the pure sense of calling and extraordinary courage especially in this materialism modern society that we are more focusing on the benefits and costs. Idealism makes Don Quixote happy, and it is the reason for him to live.

It is after all the weird behaviors of Don Quixote, ups and downs of plots that we readers came back to ponder who is Don Quixote in our mind. This is not a tragedy but a comic, when Don Quixote fights with the windmill, I believe he has a sense of fulfillment, which is the reason Don Quixote lives for. This comic in some way I view it as a tragedy since Don Quixote he denied all his deeds and chivalry before his death.

0:48 – End

 

The reciter is a good performer when she was asked to read the poem using different tones, like anger or depression. Without questioning, she performs quite real. Lastly and finally, she was told ” let’s do honest. Just be you.”

After seconds of interval, she represented the poem applying her own feeling and understanding. It is not easier than performing under certain commands, I guess. Those seconds maybe like Whitman said, “give me a little time beyond my cuffed head and slumbers and dreams and gaping”.

“I discover myself on a verge mistake of the usual mistake.” During the dark moments, it is easy to get lost and scared; it is the feeling of getting down and down without the hope of raising. It is effortless to work harder, and painfully to look the self.

Just stop! Forgive yourself. The moment we collapse is the moment we rebuild. The moment we rebuild, I hope it is the moment we could be closer to self. If not, we are bound to experience more collapses. And we will finally regain courage, happiness and love for life as you recognize, accept and appreciate self as a masterpiece. If not, please believe it will come; please treat self mercifully.

The body was stunned in the world of thing; then, I need to separate myself to find myself back and regain the harmony in the heart. Let’s look beyond the body through the soul, and then talk to self and connect to self. It is an adventure and life-long topic to discover ourselves, especially when we are not independent enough to confront the world filled with noisy voices and judgments. It is extremely confusing when you are eager to be yourself when you are not familiar with yourself.

“The whirling and whirling is elemental within me”, the last sentence of verse 37, which I appreciate, illuminate the essence of life. The whirling and whirling is elemental within humans, and we have left proofs in the history.