Our Greatest Fear

First off, i should state that I disagree with this poem to say that I believe that often times our greatest fear is actually the fear of inadequacy rather than being "powerful beyond measure."  For me, a pessimistic realist, i know that the things that I say and do will often not meet expectations, and in those situations it is the inadequacy that i fear rather than my own personal power.

So, we have to write about a time when we felt like we couldn't be ourselves?  Hokay.  Here goes.  I recently (last summer) met a group of friends who go to Carmel High School.  These individuals happen to play for the football team there.  Cool.  At any rate, they came over to my house to go swimming and to just hang out.  Everything was cool the first day, because all they really knew about me was my taste in music, what TV shows i like to watch, and my interest in cars.  Far as they knew, I'm another average 17-year-old straight teenage guy.  Only one problem, straight is not something that truthfully describes me, and they'd never hung out with anyone who didn't meet that requirement.  Here we are a year hence, and I still associate with these individuals on a regular basis, and plan to live with some of these guys my sophomore year in college.  They are now very accepting of me as the guy that I am.  However, at the time, i had to play into exactly the societal expectation that these individuals had expected.  It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th time that I hung out with them that I told them the truth.  They were skeptical at first, but now everything's cool.  At any rate, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Lady or the Tiger

Better to have loved and lost than to have loved at all. There are often times when one's own emotion intercedes in a life-and-death decision, such that death is the preferred outcome. In the case of the short story "The Lady Or The Tiger," it seems to me that the princess would be more prone to directing her lover toward the tiger, primarily because she'd rather have him dead and pained for an instant than having to live for the rest of his and her life not being able to be together. Furthermore, this whole societal construct i ssaid to have barbaric tendencies, which would also make sense for the decision. All things considered, the emotional attachment had the power to override the concern for life. The tiger came out of the door.

King Lear Act III blog

The scene in which Gloucester's eyes are gouged out is in fact full of violence, however it is also full of symbolism.  All throughout the play, Goucester has been stabbed in the back, mislead, and toyed with, and despite his physical capability to see, has been completely blind to the fact.  Now that he has lost his sight, however, he is able to realize that all along he's been had.  The reason for this graphic violence occuring on stage is more for dramatic purposes than to be gratuitously violent.  During act III, elements of confustion, tension, and malevolence have built up into a certain sort of frenzy.  This gouging out of his eye then stomping on it serves as a parallel to represent all of the ludicrous nature of the behavior in this act thus far.  This act is much more justified in its presence than violence in slasher films and Grand Theft Auto.  Violence in the latter two examples is typically violence for violence's sake.  It is there to be as gory and as gruesome as possible, for little dramatic reason and generally for shock value.  Graphic violence has a place in drama when it actually conveys drama, not when it is there to convey violence.  

King Lear Act II Response 2

After Edgar "fights" Edmund, he runs away because he is under the impression that everyone is going to be looking for him.  He hides in a hollow tree because "I heard myself proclaimed, and by the happy hollow of a tree escaped the hunt.  No port is free, no place that guard and most unusual vigilance does not attend my taking."  Due to his confusion of the actual situation (and his ignorance regarding the treachery of Edmund) he decides to disguise himself as "the basest and most poorest shape that ever penury and contempt of man."  On a surface, this disguise is simply to avoid himself being caught for the transgressions he has made against Edmund.  However, on a deeper level, Edgar feels as though his own character is of no worth to society.  He feels that due to the actions that everyone else in the society perceives him  to have done that they no longer value him and would value him more as a vagrant.  At least they would cast some semblance of charity onto a wanderer.  On a different note, this character may be used as a symbol.  Typically these characters of whom Edgar is disguising himself are known as insane people who have escaped from an asylum, and as such are generally confused and crazy.  This might be used as a symbol of the confusion and craziness that both the reader and Edgar himself are feeling at this point.  All things considered, however, this extreme disguise is probably employed mostly due to the fact that Edgar must pick something so drastically differed from his typical self so that those who seek to punish him for his supposed wrongdoing will not be able to find him.

King Lear Act II Response 1

Sad as it is, there is often the case in which a child (though he or she may not be necessarily of a child's age) turns against their parent.  They undermine, they neglect, or they in essence mistreat their parents to such a degree that an outward appearance of the actions borders on the despicable.  The exact reason for this phenomena is wide open for debate, and can range from a grudge of a past wrongdoing, the result of a spoiled childhood, a culmination of years of irritation, or simply out of the questionable character (morally/ethically) of the child his or herself.  In the case of the two daughters in this story, i would say that a combination of all of the aforementioned scenarios can apply (probably with less of an emphasis on the wrongdoing).  The daughters have more likely than not known throughout their lives that one day they would inherit their father's land.  Whether that came by the way of the king's death or by some other means is unknown to them, but they have undoubtedly lusted after their hefty parcels.  Sheer greed mixed with the years of irritation of their father lecturing them about their mannerisms and what have you may have definitely fueled their treatment of their father.  Furthermore, the fact that the once king has handed over his land to his daughters, then proceeded to encroach on what was at one time, but no longer is his power may also come as an irritation at an extent great enough to make the daughters want to turn him away.

King Lear Act I (post ii)

Loyalty is a rather interesting concept.  It is typically based on friendship, but doesn't necessarily have to be.  For those loyalties that are based in friendship, the basis is usually in that the two people trust and support each other and in that right, will remain loyal to one another.  For those loyalties that aren't based on friendship, it can be for a similar mutual respect between the two individuals.  The type of loyalty in which a person devotes themselves to the other person (like Kent to Lear in this case) is modernly referred to as being clingy and is typically not tolerated.  The situation between Lear and Kent is practically beyond explanation.  This prime example of altruism is rarely (if ever) seen for the simple reason that it rarely benefits the one showing the loyalty.  In Kent's case, it didn't benefit him at all (considering his banishment).  Put short, the loyalty in Kent's case was not at the same extent as loyalty will be referred to in more modern times.  Probably one of the most important characteristics of someone who wishes to attract loyalty is a capability for the understanding of the feeling of those loyal to him/her.  Those wishing to attract loyalty must give those exhibiting loyalty an incentive to stay loyal.  They must show those loyal to them that they mean something to the person shown loyalty.  One of the people that I feel best exemplifies what it takes to attract loyalty is Dr. Vesper.  He has only the best interests of the community at large at heart, while simultaneously making sure that every individual is also taken care of.  

King Lear Act I (post 1)

While i do not condone the behavior of either Goneril or Regan, i do understand what is going through their minds in this instance.  Up for grabs is a rather substantial part of a kingdom.  Now, this is much better than anything any naive daughter got on MTV's Super Sweet 16.  It's logical that they are going to want the most of this gift that they can get, and will do things that they wouldn't do normally in order to get it.  There's a saying that goes, "everyone has their price."  This most definitely applies here as a parcel of a kingdom of this nature is like learning that you and another family member are the sole benefactors of a large sum of money left in a passed loved one's will, but you have to do something out of the ordinary for yourself to get it.  The world inside their heads is completely obsessed with getting as much of their dad's land as they can possibly get, and this means that they're not paying much attention to others feelings.  I can't say that I personally have ever been in a situation in which i would completely disregard others in order to acheive a desire, but I am aware that there is a certain amount of prosperity that i would start to loosen my morals and ethics in order to obtain.