Thursday, November 8, 2012

I won't give up song analysis

"I wont give up on us, even if the skies get rough, I'm giving you all my love, I'm still looking up." This quote from the chorus of Jason Mraz's "I won't give up" epitomizes the meaning of the song. Jason scatters similes. metonomies, and metaphors throughout his song to express his feelings for this girl and explain that he will not give up on their relationship. The melodies accompanying these lyrics help the audience to feel the same as Jason Mraz. Overall, Jason Mraz, is saying that he and this girl that he is in love with have to learn from their relationship. He talks about how they have gone through so much in their relationship. Despite all of that, he's not going to give up, "even if the skies get rough". Jason goes on to explain "Our differences they do alot to teach us how to use the tools and gofts we got", meaning that they can learn from eachother, as well as the difficulties presented to them in their relationship. The biggest, and most meaningful, point that Jason makes is that despite all of these difficulties that they go through, his love for this girl makes him realize that it's all worth it. Jason Mraz uses many literary terms to express his feelings in this song. In the beginning of the song, he uses the simile "like watching the night skies" to compare the girl who he loves' eyes to the night sky. This gives the listener a mental picture of the girl's beauty. Jason also uses metonomy in saying that he won't give up, "even if the skies get rough". In this situation, the skies symbolize life, meaning that Jason will not give up on the relationship, even if life gets difficult. He also uses the hyperbole "We had to learn how to bend, without the world caving in" to exagerate the difficulties of the relationship. The world would not literally cave in, but saying that it would helps the listeners understand the magnitude of their problems.  What really makes this song emotionally touching and relatable is the music accompanying the lyrics. Different tones and notes in music can often evoke feelings within the listeners. A great example of this is in Jennifer Donneley's Revolution when the main character, Andi, says that the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" "sounds exactly how saddness feels" (Donneley, 18). This same principle applies to Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up". You can also hear in Jason's voice how much he cares about the girl he is singing about. This would not be possible if the lyrics were a poem, rather than a song. All in all, Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up" is a very emotional song. It explains how people can learn from the hardships they encounter in both relationships, and in life. Jason uses several literary devices in his song to explain this. The musical background adds the emotional effect that is needed to capture the audience.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Ancient vs. Modern Day Heros Revised

Heroes during current times often reflect many of the same plot points as ancient hero stories. Despite these similarities between ancient and current heroes, there are several differences. As the times change, the stories change with them, often reflecting what is important at that time. One example of this is the similarities between the Avengers and the Odyssey. Both of these stories, as well as many other stories, have plots that follow the timeline of a hero. However, there are several key differences between each story.The heroes in both the Avengers and the Odyssey follow the journey of a hero. In fact, this is true with almost all story plots. Both stories begin with the call to adventure. In the Avengers, this is when Loki steals the Tesseract and Fury calls the Avengers out of hiding to help stop him. In the Odyssey, this can be interpreted as the point in which Odysseus is called out to sea to fight in the Trojan War. However, this event occurs eighteen years before the book starts, so a more relevant call to adventure would be the point in which Calypso is forced to release Odysseus from her island and allow him to take the perilous journey home. In the Avengers, one example of refusal to the call is made by Bruce Banner, fearing that he will harm people if he transforms into the Hulk. An example of refusal of the call in the Odyssey was Odysseus’s reluctance to leave Calypso’s island for fear that she was up to no good. The Avengers meet their mentor, Thor, who, as the brother of the God of Trickery, helps reveal Loki's weaknesses to help them defeat him. Odysseus’s mentor is less of a conscious mentor, and more of a guide. Athena helps keep Odysseus alive by planting survival skills in his mind. The big ordeal in the Avengers was the large battle between the Avengers and Loki. The big ordeal in the Odyssey is Odysseus’s difficult and perilous journey back home from Calypso’s island in which he is bombarded with obstacles by Poseidon.  Finally, all of the heroes return victorious to their ordinary worlds with their elixirs.Besides the fact that the heroes in the Avengers and the Odyssey, not to mention the hundreds of other heros, follow the same journey, there are many direct allusions to ancient mythological heroes in current books and movies such as the Avengers. For example, Loki, the Norse God of Mischief, is the antagonist in the Avengers. He plays many of the same wicked roles that he does in Norse myths. In the Norse myth, The Death of Balder, Loki plays the part of the evil God who is trying to create mischief and chaos in Asgard and Midgard by causing the death of the great Balder. Similarly, in the Avengers, Loki is attempting to steal the Tesseract and give it to the Other, in exchange for an army of Chitauri that he can use to wreak havoc on the earth. Additionally, the movie the Avengers incorporates Thor, the Norse God of Thunder who is a much more benevolent God than Loki. In both the death of Balder, and the Avengers, he aids the protagonists in defeating Loki and returning things back to normal. We can see these direct allusions to mythology in many other hero stories as well; such as the Greek Gods in Percy Jackson, or the more subtle use of the Norse Gods in Lord of the Rings. However, there are a few differences between ancient hero stories, such as the Odyssey, and current hero stories, such as the Avengers. There are many aspects of the world that were central to people’s lives during ancient times that are simply irrelevant nowadays. For example, when Odysseus was missing for several years, there was fear that there would be an uprising and someone would forcibly take over the kingdom. In most countries today, this is not an issue. We now have elected rulers; so if someone such as the President were to disappear, we would have another elected official, such as the Vice President, replace him. There are also aspects of the world today that were not issues during ancient times. For example, during the attack towards the end of the movie the Avengers, the government attempts to set off a nuclear bomb to wipe out Loki’s army and prevent it from spreading around the world. Iron Man then has to remove the nuclear weapon and send it back through the portal to save the city. During ancient times, heroes did not have to worry about weapons, such as nuclear bombs, that could kill entire populations.Ancient hero stories are often reflected into hero stories of today. There are many basic hero archetypes that are carried throughout the years. Some of these include the hero’s journey, or even the direct use of ancient heroes such as the use of the Norse God of Lightning, Thor, as one of the protagonists in the Avengers. There are also aspects of these stories that are different. The details of the plots often change as the important aspects of the world change, which is what keeps them relevant and interesting.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Odysseus Hero Analysis

Odysseus is a classic hero, dedicated to fighting for his country, as well as getting his men home safely. Despite these wonderful, heroic qualities, Odysseus also has several flaws, including his arrogance and lack of control over his crew.  These flaws create a character that is lacking as an "ideal" hero.

Above all, Odysseus is loyal to his country, Ithaca and its people.  His initial journey was to fight for them in the Trojan War.  Throughout the story, Odysseus is continually trying to return home with riches for Ithaca to enjoy.  Odysseus is also extremely loyal to his crew.  When they were addicted to lotus fruit on the island of the lotus-eaters, he did not abandon them.  Instead, he dragged them off the island kicking and screaming, for he knew that that would be best for them.  Courage is another heroic characteristic that Odysseus possesses.  Courage lead Odysseus through many aspects of his journey.  For example, Odysseus was courageous enough to save his men from Circe and her witchcraft.  Odysseus is also quite intelligent.  He always seems to have a witty plan to get himself and his crew out of predicaments.  One great example of this intelligence is displayed in the cave of the cyclops, Polyphemus.  While he and his men were trapped in the lair of the malevolent cyclops, Odyseus devised a clever plan to escape.  The group would blind Polyphemus and hitch rides out of the cave on the underbellies of sheep.

Odysseus does, on the other hand, have several fatal flaws.  The most severe of these hamartias is his hubris.  With all that wit and courage, Odysseus can get a little too sure of himself at times.  A prime example of this hamartias manifests itself in Odysseus's biggest mistake during his journey.  Odysseus had the foresight to tell Polyphemus that his name was nobody so that he could attack him without worrying about the cyclops yelling for help.  However, he ruined the when he teased Polyphemus by telling him his name, which led to Poseidon'ts revenge on the behalf of his son.  Odysseus also has trouble keeping track of his crew.  On several occasion, Odysseus has lost control of his crew.  For example, Odysseus left his men unsupervised with the bag of winds that they were using to get home and they managed to let out all the wind.  Another example is when Odysseus's crew wandered off on the island of lotus-eaters and became addicted to the lotus fruit.

Al in all, Odysseus is a sloppy hero.  He does have several redeeming heoic qualities.  These include his loyalty to his country, courage, and intelligence.  However, Odysseus also has many flaws.  He is sloppy and arrogant, as well as the fact that he has a difficult time containing his crew.  I would definately classify Odysseus as a hero, but I would not call him the "ideal" hero.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Ancient vs. Modern Day Heroes


Heroes during current times often reflect many of the same plot points as ancient hero stories. Despite these similarities between ancient and current heroes, there are several differences. As the times change, the stories change with them, often reflecting what is important at that time. One example of this is the similarities between the Avengers and the Odyssey. Both of these stories, as well as many other stories, have plots that follow the timeline of a hero. However, there are several key differences between each story.

The heroes in both the Avengers and the Odyssey follow the journey of a hero. In fact, this is true with almost all story plots. Both stories begin with the call to adventure. In the Avengers, this is when Loki steals the Tesseract and Fury calls the Avengers out of hiding to help stop him. In the Odyssey, this can be interpreted as the point in which Odysseus is called out to sea to fight in the Trojan War. However, this event occurs eighteen years before the book starts, so a more relevant call to adventure would be the point in which Calypso is forced to release Odysseus from her island and allow him to take the perilous journey home. In the Avengers, one example of refusal to call is made by Bruce Banner, fearing that he will harm people if he transforms into the Hulk. An example of refusal of the call in the Odyssey was Odysseus’s reluctance to leave Calypso’s island for fear that she was up to no good. The Avengers meet their mentor, Thor, who, as the brother of the God of Trickery, helps reveal his weaknesses to help them defeat Loki. Odysseus’s mentor is less of a conscious mentor, and more of a guide. Athena helps keep Odysseus alive by planting survival skills in his mind. The big ordeal in the Avengers was the large battle between the Avengers and Loki. The big ordeal in the Odyssey is Odysseus’s difficult and perilous journey back home from Calypso’s island in which he is bombarded with obstacles by Poseidon.  Finally, all of the heroes return victorious to their ordinary worlds with their elixirs.

Besides the fact that the heroes in the Avengers and the Odyssey, not to mention the hundreds of other plots, follow the same journey of a hero, there are many direct allusions to ancient mythological heroes in current books and movies such as the Avengers. For example, Loki, the Norse God of Mischief, is the antagonist in the Avengers. He plays many of the same wicked roles that he does in Norse myths. In the Norse myth, The Death of Balder, Loki plays the part of the evil God who is trying to create mischief and chaos in Asgard and Midgard by causing the death of the great Balder. Similarly, in the Avengers, Loki is attempting to steal the Tesseract and give it to the Other, in exchange for an army of Chitauri that he can use to wreck havoc on the earth. Additionally, the movie the Avengers incorporates Thor, the Norse God of Thunder who is a much more benevolent God than Loki. In both the death of Balder, and the Avengers, he aids the protagonists in defeating Loki and returning things back to normal. We can see these direct allusions to mythology in many other hero stories as well; such as the Greek Gods in Percy Jackson, or the more subtle use of the Norse Gods in Lord of the Rings.

 However, there are a few differences between ancient hero stories, such as the Odyssey, and current hero stories, such as the Avengers. There are many aspects of the world that were central to people’s lives during ancient times that are simply irrelevant nowadays. For example, when Odysseus was missing for several years, there was fear that there would be an uprising and someone would forcibly take over the kingdom. In most countries today, this is not an issue. We now have elected rulers; so if someone such as the President were to disappear, we would have another elected official, such as the Vice President, replace him. There are also aspects of the world today that were not issues during ancient times. For example, during the attack towards the end of the movie the Avengers, the government attempts to set off a nuclear bomb to wipe out Loki’s army and prevent it from spreading around the world. Iron Man then has to remove the nuclear weapon and send it back through the portal to save the city. During ancient times, heroes did not have to worry about weapons, such as nuclear bombs, that could kill entire populations.

Ancient hero stories are often reflected into hero stories of today. There are many basic hero archetypes that are carried throughout the years. Some of these include the hero’s journey, or even the direct use of ancient heroes such as the use of the Norse God of Lightning, Thor, as one of the protagonists in the Avengers. There are also aspects of these stories that are different. The details of the plots often change as the important aspects of the world change, which is what keeps them relevant and interesting.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Odyssey Bellwork 9-19-12

Eighteen years, its been eighteen long years since I have seen my husband Odysseus. Telemachus was just an infant when he left; by now he is a respectable young man. Everyone keeps telling me that Odysseus is dead, but I refuse to believe that. One day, maybe even some day soon, my dear husband will come back and bring our kingdom back to order.

I have to admit, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stall for Odysseus. We constanly have suitors in our palace, trying to gain my hand in marriage, and the power of the kingdom. I keep trying to convince everyone that Odysseus is alive and that he will return one day, but no seems to take me seriously. Despite my protests, hundreds of men stay in our palace, eating our food  and cleaning us dry. It saddens me to see how this effects Telemachus, but I simply cannot choose a new husband while I know in my heart that my current husband is still alive. I know that I could force them all to leave, but I fear that I may start great unrest in the kingdom by doing that.

Instead, I devised a clever plan that would give Odysseus time to come home. I promised to choose a new king as sooon as I finished weaving a burial shroud for my father in law. Day after day, I would sit down and work on the burial shroud. Howver, I did not want to choose someone, and I needed to stall for Odysseus' return. So at night, I would carefully unravel the threads that I had weaved the night before. My plan worked well for several years, that is, untill the suitors figured out what I was doing. I expected them to be furious and rebel against the kingdom; but to my surprise, they did not. Instead, they all sit around and talk with Telemachus, day in and day out. To be honest, this scares me more than if they were to revolt. I cannot even imagine what they could be planning.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

A Kingdom Apart

Once there was a land by the name of A Kingdom Apart. This kingdom was full of sparkling lakes, rolling hills, and joyful people. The Queen of this land, Helen, was a beautiful and extremely kind ruler. She loved all of her subjects and cared for every single one of them. There also lived a young duchess, Whitney, who was a distant cousin of Queen Helen. Some other members of the royal court included Sabrina the Sweet, Janet the Joyous, and Hannah the Helpful. Whitney, Sabrina, Janet, and Hannah all had their own section of the kingdom to look after, and they each cared for it attentively.
However, there was a part of the kingdom that was not so beautiful and pleasant. This region was ruled by the mysterious sister witches, Debra and Donna. These sisters were very mischievous and loved to start trouble in the kingdom.
One day, Queen Helen realized that her kingdom was in great debt. She knew that she needed to fix it, but she had no idea how. She tried for many months to pull her lovely kingdom out of debt, but to no avail. Her subjects, and even her royal court, were starting to become impatient and angry with her. There were even rumors that the duchess was going to try to steal the crown. Queen Helen realized that she had only one place to turn, Debra and Donna. She knew that getting help from them would be risky, but she was desperate to get her kingdom back to the way it was when it was prosperous and the people were happy.
So Helen set out on the journey to find the witches. When she arrived, the sisters were eager to help her, realizing that this was their chance to be a part of the ruin of A Kingdom Apart. After days of mixing and chanting, Debra and Donna sent Queen Helen back to her kingdom and told her to go to sleep. When she woke up, she would have the intelligence and the power to know exactly what to do to save her kingdom from debt.
When the Queen awoke, she felt like a new person. She felt more powerful and in control than ever before, so she decided to call a meeting with her royal court. Come to find out, Duchess Whitney had taken over control while she was gone. The queen was absolutely outraged, she was furious that her own cousin would betray her like that. In reality, Duchess Whitney was only trying to help the Queen keep the kingdom in order while she was away; but Helen could not see this, because she was corrupted with power by the witches. In retaliation, Queen Helen banned Whitney from the kingdom, forcing her to leave the land immediately. However, all of Whitney’s subjects, along with Janet and her subjects, as well as Hannah and her subjects, remained loyal to Duchess Whitney. After so many of her subjects left, Queen Helen became even more furious. Corrupted with both power and anger, Helen allowed Debra and Donna into her kingdom to help advise her in her rule. This was the biggest mistake that she could have made, because the mischievous witches led the Queen and her remaining subject directly into the lions den. A Kingdom Apart fell into such great debt that Queen Helen and her subjects were forced to leave.
Although it saddened the duchess to see her once beloved cousin so corrupted, she was happy that she and her new Kingdom, Duchess Kingdom of Vienna (named so to represent the respect for her royal court, Janet and Hannah, that Queen Helen had been lacking), could move back into the old land. However, when they got there, the land had been destroyed by Helen and her witch advisors. They had broken all the windows, slashed the floors, and set fire to all of the crops. The ruins of the old kingdom were the saddest sight that you could ever see. Whitney, the new Queen, was so disheartened by the sight that she had a day remembrance for the old Queen, whom she regarded as passed away. After months of restoring the land, the subjects of Duchess Kingdom of Vienna were allowed back to live happily ever after in the new, prosperous kingdom, ruled by the generous and loving Queen Whiney.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Delirium Archetype Essay

According to Jung, an archetype is an inherited, unconscious pattern of thought. We are all born with certain thought and ideas about life that guide us through our experiences. Most of these ideas fit into molds that will often repeat themselves several times within our lives. These patterns will often show up in literature.

One example of an archetype is the Shadow. The shadow is essentially a projection of ourselves. However, it is not the projection of the self that we typically like to think of ourselves as, in fact, it is just the opposite. The Shadow symbolizes the part of ourselves that we tend to deny exists, such as an evil side or a weak side, projected onto other objects or beings.

This archetype is present in Lauren Oliver's Delirium. Oliver writes of a world in which every citizen within the city limits of the U.S. fears love to the point of considering it a disease to be avoided at all costs. This represents the fear that every human has of getting hurt when it comes to love. Oliver takes that intrinsic fear and projects it onto the authorities and scientists. She ostracizes them, making it seem outrageous for so many people to fear love. In reality, though, we are all afraid of love in one way or another.

There are many different archetypes, or subconscious patterns of thought. One prime example is the Shadow. This archetype represents the projection of our own fears and insecurities on others. Lauren Oliver perfectly portrays the shadow of human's fear of love in her novel Delirium. The image that she paints of a whole country of people who are greatly apprehensive towards love seems outrageous and unfathomable to the readers. However, deep down, we are all afraid of being hurt in the face of love.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Mythology Evolution

Mythology has changed signifigantly throughout the years. These ancient stories have evolved from oral tradition to stories written in books; as well as evolving from being perceived as fact, to simply a collection of interesting stories. Infact, mythos, the root word that mythology derives from, originally meant fact or history; transforming to now mean a fictional tale in current times.
Thousands of years ago, people recited stories of past event to eachother. These stories often explained occurances that puzzled them, such as the stars in the sky, or the changing seasons. Because they did not understand the concept of science, people would create elaborate tales filled with mystical beings to explain these natural phenomena. For example, the Ancient Greeks used Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, to explain the drastic changing of the seasons. It was said that during the half of the year when Demeter's daughter, Persephone, was stuck in the underworld being the wife of Hades, Demeter became extremely distraught and all of the plant life would wither and die. Then, during the half of the year when Persephone was up on earth with Demeter, she would become ecstatic and the earth would be filled with beautiful calypsos and other greenery. As different people would pass these myths down through oral tradition, they would be altered and embelished, much like a game of telephone.
However, myths have emerged into something very different than what they were in ancient times. The stories that were once used to explain nature and its mysteries, have now been replaced with science and logic. In this day and age, we know that the seasons have nothing to do with the goddess of agriculture, and everything to do with the earth revolving around the sun. Although we have deemed these stories fictional, we still tell them today. However, instead of orally passing them down, we now write the myths down in books. An example of this is the Percy Jackson series which basically elaborates on the Greek Gods and Goddesses, telling the storie of their demi-god children. Telling these stories in books allows many people to read the same story and be able to discuss it with one another.
Although myths still do exist today, both the myths themselves, and our opinion of them has changed immensely. These collections of ancient stories, which were once the history books of ancient times, are now just entertaining stories for those of us in the present. The means of communicating these myths has changed as well: from oral tradition to words written in books.