I developed a lot my critical thinking. I believe I am now much more specific when discussing something in particular. What helped me the most to improve this was the structure of my paragraphs with quotations and the support. I think it was after the mid-term and first essay that I started realizing and really understanding how to be as clear and specific as possible. I still have a long way to go and a lot of space for improvement. Word choice is something I constantly try to work on. I am trying to start using more and different words so I do not sound too repetitive or monotonous when I am trying to explain something. Our group work presentation was very good and creative, I would have liked for us to be more detailed in our explanations and dig a little bit deeper in our reasoning. All in all I feel it was a very productive course for me, it allowed me to improve and most important it showed me areas I still need to keep on working.
Joaquin Azcue
This course motivated me to become a better writer, and an active participator in class. I believe my writing skills improved by taking this course; I also believe my critical thinking skills improved through analyzing texts during class. I believe I still need to work on my time management skills, I often procrastinate when it comes to school work however I’m trying to change that. Although my writing improved this semester, I noticed sometimes my thoughts appear to be scattered whereas I want to be able to keep my thoughts concise and to the point. I enjoyed the group work in this class whereas in
other classes I would have rather worked alone. I also enjoyed the creative aspect of this class, for an example I found writing the final essay a lot of fun because there was a creative portion to the project. Lastly I enjoyed free writing during this semester, and then being able to share my thoughts with the class.
Katarina Stojanovic
This semester I’ve developed some new skills as well as recognized a few areas that need improvement. Overall I think my quality of writing has gone up, I don’t know by how much but I do see a difference in my approach and how to develop on a topic. I know that’s going to be useful in the long run. I felt more confident in being able to speak in front of people. I feel better at how I analyze works of literature. It just may take a few times reading over and over again, such as The Endgame. I had to reread a few parts because I couldn’t get into the book. I have trouble connecting with some of the stories which made it a little bit more of a challenge for me. Overall it was progress from the moment I started this class. I feel more confident in my writing.
Onu Mezbah
Reflecting back on the semester, I’ve noticed strong improvement in many different areas, but specifically my reading and analytical skills. This is primarily due to the many short stories that I’ve read over the semester. In fact I was never really engaged in reading novels in grade school mainly because it didn’t interest me. However it wasn’t only reading that was the cause for my improvement. But being able to share one’s thoughts and discuss one another’s opinion helped as well. However I’ve come to realize that I lack sufficient writing skills. In other words, I find writing with a narrow focus is quite difficult considering the amount of workload some papers require. As for my peers however, they seem to also have the same weakness. Katarina mentioned that her thoughts are sometimes scattered instead of keeping it concise and to the point while Joaquin mentioned attempting to use the right vocabulary to avoid repetitiveness. I believe this can both be accomplished by simply having someone else other than yourself to proofread the paper. I found that with this, not only is a second opinion essential in a successful paper, but it gives the writer the ability to understand his or her readers opinions.
Farhan Zaman
It was very interesting to read my classmates reviews of the year because I had some of the same struggles and at the same time I feel like we all improved together. The class was extremely engaging and this interaction helped us get better. Regarding Kat and her having difficulties to concise thoughts I would tell her to think about the main idea and develop it but without deviating of that main point of interest. Onu, I really think you improved a lot analyzing works, there is a very clear difference in your posts week after week. I believe there is a much more deeper analysis now than the beginning of the semester. I completely agree with Farhan, it was very difficult for me to narrow the focus when writing because some of our topics and themes were very broad. What helped me was to focus in just one small part, something detailed and try to explain that specific part without leaving the subject. All in all, I think we all did a great job, we worked together very good and we all improved a lot.
Joaquin Azcue
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Last paragraph on page 842
First Person:
I force myself to go on working on the papers. When I’m bored with them I undress slowly and get into bed, and fall asleep at once, and for the first time in years I dream, dream of only one thing, of a fleshless hand that comes toward me with a bell, screaming that I should go away; and when that face with its empty eye socket comes close to me, I wake up with a muffled cry, sweating, and feel those gentle hands caressing my face, those lips murmuring in a low voice, consoling me and asking me for affection. I reach out my hands to find that the other body, that naked body with a key dangling from its neck, and when I recognized the key I recognized the woman lying over me, kissing me, kissing my whole body. I can’t see her in the black of the starless night, but I can smell the fragrance of the patio plants in her hair, can feel her smooth, eager body in my arms; I kiss her again and didn’t ask her to speak.
Third Person:
He forced himself to go on working on the papers. When he got bored with them he undressed slowly, got into bed and fell asleep at once, and for the first time in years he dreamed, dreamed of only one thing, of a fleshless hand that came toward him with a bell, screaming that he should go away, everyone should go away; and when that face with its empty eye sockets come close to him, he woke up with a muffled cry, sweating and he felt those gentle hands caressing his face, those lips murmuring in a low voice, consoling him and asking him for affection. He reached out his hands to find that the other body, that naked body with a key dangling from its neck, and when he recognized the key, he recognized the woman who was lying over him, kissing him, kissing his whole body. He couldn’t see her in the black of the starless night, but he could smell the fragrance of the patio plants in her hair, can feel her smooth, eager body in his arms; He kissed her again and didn’t ask her to speak.
I personally didn’t have any problems translating the text from second person to first or third person. By doing this exercise I was intrigued on reading the passage in different point of views.
I thought Katarina translated this passage very interestingly. Although there is a slight distinction between the first and third person point of view, I understood and comprehended the passage much more effectively in third person. In first person it sounds as if it is a narrative, a frightening one. In third person however, it is much less sinister but also much more distant. I was able to to put myself in the shoes of the main character in first person while I didn’t really feel attached to the story in third person. In addition, it makes it slightly more strenuous to be able to put yourself in the characters shoes and feel the emotions they’re going through in my opinion. However I didn’t necessarily have any difficulty between the two perspectives. It actually gave me a better understanding of the story. I believe in certain cases it’s necessary to view the story from other perspectives as it gives the reader the ability to put themselves in the story. I didn’t find it particularly difficult or have any problems going from second person to first or third person.
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Regarding this excerpt of the film, I wanted to touch upon the directing and production aspect in the sense that the two are creatively similar. Through the film we’re able to see the characters feelings and sentiments whereas in the text, it is difficult to distinguish what the emotions of the characters are. The directing makes it easier to comprehend the situations and the relationships between the characters. For example, when Clov and Hamm are conversing it’s hard to tell what Clov’s reactions are towards Hamm’s demands. Although the two have had a lengthy history, it seems as if Clov is a personal servant to Hamm. However this can only be understood when watching the film as opposed to the text.
Farhan Zaman
The acting in the Endgame portrays the characters extremely differently then the text does. While reading the Endgame it was very difficult for me to picture emotion between the characters, whereas while watching the Endgame the acting allowed me to see emotional relationships between the characters. One idea I picked up on while reading the text was that Clov seemed like Hamm’s servant, however it was hard for me to understand Clov’s emotion toward serving Hamm. Around 33 minutes into the Endgame Hamm asks Clov how his legs and eyes are and Clov responds by saying bad, Hamm them says at least he can and walk but one day he won’t be able to. After Hamm says that to Clov, you are able to see Clov becomes sad by what Hamm says to him. When comparing this scene to the text, I was unable to pick up on any emotion from Clov whereas in the film you can see sadness.
Katarina Stojanovic
The creative direction of the film, the darkness, the lighting, the visuals are very obscure. I think the acting is horrible, and the setting seems darker and honestly, weirder than I expected from what I understood from the text. From the text the movie, the text didn’t give me the image that was portrayed in the movie. The scene around 33 minutes, it depicts how negative everything the world seems to them, no hope in sight, everything and everyone seems bitter. The only person that can see and move takes the negativity, and he has a little hope. Blackmail and threats is all I get out of this. But right after this Hamm is excited to play with the stuffed dog, so there’s some pure innocence that exist. So the moods flip flop quite drastically.
-Onu Mezbah
The text and the film where very different in my opinion. I was expecting to see something not so dark and specially not so dramatic. For example, while reading the text I was hoping that Hamm didn’t have his parents in trash cans and I thought that it was just a trick by Beckett.to capture the audience’s attention immediately but when I saw the film I realized it wasn’t a trick but a real setting. The imagery of having his parents in trash cans in the back corner, added to the make up production and how the room is set with him in the middle makes this piece extremely dull. Also, when reading the text, I imagined the relationship between Hamm and Glov to be more friendly or at least not so harsh but in minute 33 you see Hamm’s mental dominance over Glov. He uses very sharp words in an intent to scare Glov and convince him of things he didn’t want to do.
Joaquin Azcue
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I feel that these texts are both great pieces that share certain similarities however I find it even more interesting how in a way they are opposite. In Kafka’s story, The Metamorphasis, I feel like Gregor goes from being in the light of society, he had his chance and didn’t do what he could have done (the multiple opportunities presented by society) instead he was consumed with one thing (work). In Allegory of the Cave, I find the situation is reversed. The people are consumed by one thing as well, but it’s their environment. When one of them is exposed to the light, everyone is in disbelief like how Gregor is now a cockroach. In the story it states how Gregor stays up all night, in the dark, and how he prefers dark spaces. As if he was hiding from society. While the other group never realized what society truly looked like.
-Onu Mezbah
I believe both endings make reference to isolations. In “The Metamorphosis” by Kafka this Isolation is a little bit more physical even though the fact that Gregor has no social life also shows isolation in a mental level. “How otherwise could Gregor miss his train! You know that boy has nothing but work in his head!” Gregor’s mother stating his sons lack of social life and other relationships. However, in the ending there is a transition, at first everyone was concerned about Gregor being an insect and they had him very present in their minds but then his relevance starts to diminish and at the end he died with no one in his family taking him in consideration as a family member. In the cave, I see this isolation completely mental. This prisoners were all together going through the same situation until one got freed from his chains and when he tried to help the others they rejected him. This prisoners were so used to the dark and the shadows that their minds were absolutely blank and could not understand other points of view. It was this lack of understanding that caused fear and this fear that caused anger in them.
Joaquin Azcue
In contrasting “The Allegory of the Cave” and “The Metamorphosis” I would like to compare the theme escaping of reality. According to Plato in “The Allegory of the Cave” the prisoners think reality is the cave that they are imprisoned in. They are unaware of the world, until one of the Prisoners escape and comes back to tell them what he found. In my opinion the Prisoners refused to believe him because they are scared of reality, they have become accustomed to the version of reality in the cave. Kafka in “The Metamorphosis” shows an escape of reality when Gregor transforms into a cockroach. This transformation alters Gregor’s reality; by the end of the reading he is fully aware he will remain a cockroach. Gregor’s family refused to accept him as a cockroach, they all showed emotions of sadness, anger and being scared. Due to his family not accept him, he escapes his new reality by killing himself.
Katarina Stojanovic
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1) Georg’s decision at the end of the story to commit suicide is partly his own fault due to his insecurity and partly due to the treatment of his father. I believe these two factors are connected because within the story Georg’s father put him down multiple times, he accused him of lying about having a friend in Petersburg, he also called him a joker. Georg’s father also tells him he doesn’t need him and could take care of himself, in my opinion the interactions between Georg his father is deep rooted. In a psychological view it is said personal traits may stem from parents, which is why I came to the conclusion that Georg’s relationship with his had lead to his insecurities and depression within himself that lead to his suicide. On the second to last page Georg’s father says, “You were a devilish human being! And therefore know this: I condemn you to death by drowning!” once again he insults Georg by comparing him to the devil and then tells him to kill himself. Georg ended up taking what his father said and actually committing suicide, which could have been prevented if he had a better relationship with his father. -Katarina
Many people see this ending as somehow unrealistic. Do you agree? Why or why not? How does it being realistic, not entirely realistic, or both contribute to your understanding of the ending?
3) I do see the ending as somehow unrealistic but I also see it as a culmination of emotions. I believe it was the breaking point in George’s life and even though it is an unexpected and exaggerated reaction it does represent a collection of repressed emotions he had. It is proven that parents, especially fathers can have a very deep impact in the life of his son and George’s old man is a clear example. George was dealing with a lot of things at the same time, his business, his future marriage, his long distance relationship with his best friend in Russia and his father getting old and being dependent on him. “So now you know what there was in the world outside of yourself. Up to this point you’ve known only about yourself!” George’s father continuously blaming him with no reason or fundamentals. The way his father started taking everything out of context and releasing all this negative attributes and emotions to George made him lose self-control and eventually take the ultimate decision. I say it’s unrealistic because it is too sudden, to rushed and somehow unconsious.
2) Georg’s last decision is a critical one and I personally believe we all have a choice, even if we like our options or not. I feel like he choose his fate even if his father said those negative things about him and the negative impact Georg’s had on certain things. ″You have no friend in Petersburg. You were always a joker, and you have also not spared me. How can you possibly have a friend over there of all places! I can’t believe that.″ This statement is almost as if Georg’s crazy, even though we find out that the father confirms that his friend is real, the distance and this confusion is blamed on Georg for making the decisions that he has made. Everything seems like an illusion in a sense. All of these things led to Georg’s death that he choose to do unfortunately.
-Onu Mezbah
1)The life Georg lived was already comprised of hardships aside from his arrogant father. He deals with daily concerns regarding his upcoming marriage, the family business, and his relationship with an old colleague in Russia. Given the difficult life he was living in, his father had only made it worse for him. He only wanted the best for him. Georg had only wanted to check up on his father and to discuss the letter he was writing to his colleague. Even in a weakened state, his father somehow still accuses his son of wrong doings and tells him that his colleague is a better man than he is. After questioning and criticizing almost all of his actions including his wife, he tells him to go drown himself. This is ultimately one of the turning points in the story. Reason being is because this led to the decision Georg made to commit suicide. Although he did love his parents, he felt this was the best decision. Feeling unwanted and living a life full of hardships, he drops down from a nearby bridge.
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This semester I’ve added on to my communicating skills, with my peers, such as working more group oriented. I’m used to working alone and depending on myself, but luckily I have great classmates that are easy to work with and fun. In our class we try to find the deeper meaning behind certain things and with so many different perspectives it really opens my eyes to things I normally wouldn’t have considered. I’m trying to grow more by taking a thought another step further like how we discuss things in class. My writing can always get better whether its free writing or on an assignment. Even though I’ve made some improvements, reading new literature and seeing the style that it’s written in, is always inspiring to read and find my own way to reiterate it. Overall, it’s been a great semester so far that I’d like to add on to.
-Onu Mezbah
At the beginning of the semester I felt lost in some of the lectures. It’s my second english literature class and the first in which I read texts of this type so naturally I struggled a little bit with some texts. The word usage is not the most common which made it tricky for me and the readings used to take me a long time because I had to translate some of the words to really understand the meaning. As the semester advanced and I got more readings under my belt I started to feel more and more comfortable, class lectures were super useful, hearing my classmates give their opinions and being able to see their analysis made me understand different perspectives which at the end I think gave me more tools for me to analyze the readings by myself. I still struggle with grammar and word usage, because this readings are very deep I sometimes try to use words I don’t usually do and use them in an incorrect way. I want to keep improving my writing skills, I want to learn how to be more concise, precise and much more clear.
Joaquin Azcue
One of the reasons I choose to take this class was is because I love to write, I believe my writing skills are average and I hope at the end of the semester they will improve and be better then average. Being analytical is very important in this class. I like analyzing the works we read because it allows us to discuss different meanings and views of a specific story, sentencing or wording. I participate in every class because I enjoy contributing to the discussion I’ve done okay on the quizzes, however I would like to start doing better. Time management is something I’ve always struggled with and still struggle with. This classes forces me to work on this because we have a specific deadline each week. To conclude by the end of this class I hope to have better writing skills and be able to manage my time efficiently.
Katarina Stojanovic
Throughout my academic career, most of my English courses have required me to read books no matter how long they were. But in fact I’ve never really finished these books. Reason being is because they were primarily too time consuming for me. I’ve always been able to avoid this and still be able to ace the class. But this course turned out to be different. From the start of the semester up until now I found myself finding the time and giving in the effort to not only read the texts, but read it until I received a grasp understanding. I think the major reason for this transition has to do with whether or not the the certain texts are appealing to me. And they indeed were. But aside from the improvements in my reading habits, I’ve come to realize my writing needs to be further developed as well. Specifically having a narrow focus on my essays. This is something I am currently working on in order to be constantly improving.
Farhan Zaman
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Do you see any similarity in how Monkey and Bartleby changed their behavior? Why do you think they changed or why do you think they did not change?
– Joaquin
Pick a character from from Journey to the West, Life of the Sensuous Woman, or Bartleby and explain the theme of punishment and how this specific character overcame this challenge.
– Katarina
Monkey from Journey to the West and the narrator from The Life of a Sensuous Woman both go through the heroic journey even though their journeys are different. Compare the two journeys that explains their story as well as the common theme they may share.
– Onu Mezbah
Compare and Contrast Monkey King and Bartleby’s attributes and qualities and choose one heroic themes (Traditional hero, Satanic Hero, or Anti Hero) that ties to these two characters’ personalities.
– Farhan Zaman
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“Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville in which there are two main characters, Bartleby and his boss, the narrator. I believe Bartleby is a satanic hero because he sees reality, his reality and instead of talking or asking for help he decides to act in a childish inappropriate way. Out of nowhere, Bartleby decided he would not work anymore and he answers with what became his perpetual response, “I would prefer not to.” It is obvious he has his own reasons but the way he did it is wrong. Instead of opening up and speaking about whatever was bothering him or even asking for help he stopped working and stopped talking without giving any proper reason. In a professional relationship is socially inappropriate and I do not think he conducted in a correct way and even though his boss could have done more it was not his responsibility or his role.
Bartleby is an interesting character with little to say but with a lot of meaning behind it. He prefers not to do much but there’s a hint of logic, mystery and purity behind his actions. The narrator himself goes back and forth on how he feels and he slowly understands certain things about Bartleby. At first the narrator only sees the big picture which is he hired an employee for this copyist job at his Wall Street firm. Slowly he finds out more details, the truth, such as Bartleby living in the workplace. Even though the narrator thought about helping Bartleby he ends up trying to fire him. Here the narrator is see the truth and thinks the solution is to fire Bartleby. “The time has come; you must quit this place;…” he tells him to leave and pays him off. I find both characters to be Satanic Heroes for that reason. They both mean well but Bartleby’s peculiar behavior is not justified in how he treats certain task/request while the narrator is willing to change his own office space just to get rid of an employee to help him move on.
-Onu Mezbah
In Herman Melville’s short story Bartleby the Scriviner, the protagonist, Bartleby is a classic example of an anti-hero. An anti-hero is one who lacks heroic attributes. This story symbolizes the classic middle-class struggles society faces. Workers who don’t have a choice but to work the typical 9-5 schedule like many others. It is a tragedy in the sense that the protagonist’s ultimate sufferings and later, death. Bartleby does not have any heroic attributes that a hero might possess. When the author first introduces him in the story, it seems as if he is a nobody. For example, the author states “A motionless young man one morning stood upon my office threshold, the door being open, for it was summer. I can see that figure now pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn! It was Bartleby.” Bartleby therefore is not a tragic hero but rather an anti-hero. Reason being is because he mysteriously imposes his hardships for mysterious purposes that the author does not state. He might have been suffering through mental disabilities or other issues. Overall, he is one of the most isolated characters in the story.
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To open the discussion I think it is important to clarify, recreational drugs are illegal in Netherlands, including weed. The reason why it is legal to smoke and for coffee shops to offer marijuana products is because there is a 5 gram policy tolerance for marijuana and “magic mushrooms”. I personally believe that countries or districts that have an open mind regarding sensitive subjects such as drugs and prostitution are improving the lifestyle of their citizens in a lot of ways. In the case of drugs, by legalizing it, there is no more need for people to go to dangerous places or go through sketchy situations just to get a few grams of weed or a couple of mushrooms. In the case of prostitution, by legalizing it, the government can force this workers to get checked constantly, and educate them with proper information in order to keep them and their customers safer. At the same time, by legalizing the different activities, a lot of unemployed individuals are no longer considered unemployed and living out of governmental support. Not only these but they now pay taxes what gives government the opportunity to improve other areas or invest in sectors that require more money.
Another aspect within the red light district in Amsterdam is prostitution. Prostitution has been legal in the Amsterdam since 1830; minor laws were passed to try to regulate the profession however they were never enforced. It wasn’t till October 2000 that a law was passed that protected prostitutes. This law prevented human trafficking, and stated that any sex business must have a license allowing it to operate. If a business breaks this law by hiring minors or illegal immigrants it can lead to a closure of business. The Dutch believe that banning prostitution can lead worse criminal behavior, which is why they allow it. Within the red light district there are sex shops, sex shows, window prostitution, peep shows, and brothels. I always knew prostitution was legal in Amsterdam, however I was surprised to learn about the rules and regulations that control it. I also learned that the red light district is a very popular tourist attraction in Amsterdam.
Prostitution isn’t an ideal profession to most of us but it’s an accepted profession in Amsterdam where it’s treated as a regular employed job in the Red Light District. Prostitutes get full benefits from health coverage to being in a union. Although it may sound odd, it’s treated like any other job. Prostitutes and the brothels who employee them also pay taxes. The prostitutes themselves benefit from the health coverage and at least its regulated unlike other places where it’s surrounded by drugs and violence. Cops are everywhere to protect both the public and the prostitutes themselves from any and all casualties. The government is gaining tax money out of all this as well. Since the concept pimps are out the picture, the women feel like they are their own bosses with their own schedules creating a sense of ownership and pride. It’s profitable and convenient to the prostitute who doesn’t have a degree of any sort to have a good source of income.
Amsterdam’s red light district contains a vast amount of history behind it. Also referred to as the “De Wallen,” it’s ultimately the country’s entertainment center. Located in the heart of the city, it covers just over a few blocks and are crossed by several canals. The red light district itself is a region of alleys that contain cabins rented by prostitutes who offer their services. As prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, sex workers would advertise themselves along the windows of the street. However, taking photos of these women are strictly prohibited. and sex workers advertise their wares from inside red-lit cabin windows along the street. But just about a decade ago, Amsterdam’s City Council shut down 51 of the prostitution sites due to a fear of an increase in crime. This reduced the total number of windows by a third. This “red light district” began in Amsterdam as early as the 14th century. But it wasn’t till the 19th century that prostitutes had to have health checks at least twice a week to ensure that the country’s soldiers didn’t pass on any disease or health concerns. The government later tried to ban prostitution for good but they then realized that such laws could not ban prostitution for good due to the underground activity. Prostitution was then created legal again but without solicitation. Thus creating the “window trade.” But during the 1960s, the government entirely legalized prostitution which later sparked an uptick in tourist attraction.
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Monkey embarks on a journey to find immortality by any means necessary. This quest goes on from one continent to another for about ten years. This shows what kind of patience he has for what he’s doing to get there in the process. His struggle to meet the master was a testament to his patience. Once he finally meets the the master he gave him the name and title that only validated what the Monkey King was feeling, that emptiness. Wukong (Wake-to-Vacuity) was now his name. He gave up a lifestyle where there was nothing wrong to be able to fill void that he felt inside by going on this new adventure. “He stared at the place for a long time but dared not knock. Instead, he jumped onto the branch of a pine tree, picked a few pine seeds and ate them, and began to play.” Nothing was stopping him from knocking the door when he finally reached his destination after all these years, but he took his time and let itself work things out. “If a man rebukes me, I am not offended; if he hits me, I am not angered. In fact, I simply repay him with a ceremonial greeting and that’s all.” All this patience combined with the emptiness, there is no room for anger or ill intent in his heart, just the clarity he seeks.
– Onu Mezbah
I completely agree with my classmate, I think that patience is one of the biggest themes in this story and one of the most distinct characteristics in Monkey. Of course one can argue that Monkey was in the search of wisdom and meaning, it is very clear when he says, “…If we die, shall we not have lived in vain, not being able to rank forever among the Heavenly beings?.” It is also valid to state that the journey is packed with action but none of that would have happened if Monkey wasn’t relentless and had a lot of patience. Before starting his journey Monkey said, “Tomorrow I shall take leave of you all and go down the mountain. Even if I have to wander with the clouds to the corners of the sea or journey to the distant edges of Heaven” It is extremely clear that he knew it was going to be an extensive journey but he embraced it and saw it in a very positive manner. Another big sign of resilience and patience is when monkey made another raft, to cross another ocean in order to complete his mission.
– Joaquin Azcue
As my classmates mentioned, patience was a virtue for Monkey. He wanted to find his true purpose in life. Not only is he determined but he fulfills the qualities of a leader as well. We see in Chapter 1 when he becomes the king of monkeys after being courageous enough to lead his tribe to their new home. After being on the throne for hundreds of years, he commences a journey to find immortality. This journey lasts for almost 10 years. This might seem as an impossible task, but not for Monkey. He says, “Nothing in this world is difficult, but thinking makes it seem so. Where there is true will, there is always a way.” After the Patriarch gave Monkey king the name, “Wu-k’ung” (Wake-to-vacuity), the Monkey king was ecstatic jumping around joyfully. He was ultimately given this name because his rank fell upon the tenth generation of the Patriarch’s 12 characters. “If you want to have a future, don’t do anything with no future in it.” This statement by Monkey in my opinion was one of the most influential quotes ever said. His forbearance and patience is what got him to where he is today. And that is one of the most important virtues.
-Farhan Zaman
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