AP Prompt

Cultures and identities are often the driving force behind the actions of the characters in a novel or play. Select a novel or play of literary merit and in a well written essay explain how the cultures that the characters identify themselves with affect their actions and how their cultures either hinder or help their decision making process.

 

Once in a Lifetime

First, I'm intrigued to continue reading this collection of short stories because I'm interested to see how these next short stories tie into each other (seeing as it was titled Hema and Kaushik I'm assuming these next stories will somehow intertwine). Another thing I thought was interesting was how the perspective shifted from the beginning short stories to now part two. Part two is written in first person whereas the first stories of the novel were written in third person. I like the perspective change as it gives the reader a chance to better understand what is going through the character's minds. The third person perspective was limited in the earlier stories and I think if we could go back and read the stories written by the various character's points of view we would get completely different messages/themes. For me though, I enjoy reading the first person point of view because it allows Lahiri to give the reader a deeper understanding of the emotions and thoughts within a character.

Nobody's Business

This short story left me confused as to what meaning I was suppose to take from it. In the previous stories there has either been a prominent theme or a couple of different clear messages. This story left me a bit perplexed as to what I should have learned from it. I couldn't really associate my life with this story as much as the other ones. I didn't have a connection to the characters or the situations they were going through. I felt like the only message I got was to make sure you know who you're falling in love with because they might end up really being an awful person who has affairs with other people. That seems like a pretty common sense move though. Anyways, I can't find a meaning in this- and I know there has to be one. What was the significance of Sang abruptly moving to England at the end? Why was Paul's exam repeatedly mentioned? It seemed like that didn't effect the story, but it was brought up on a lot of occasions. What was the significance of the dog at the end? I don't know if I just didn't read this story as close as I should have or maybe I just don't understand the message Lahiri was trying to present in this story. 

A Choice of Accommodations

This short story really bummed me out. Throughout this story Lahiri comments on how marriage isn't something that lasts like it does in the fairy tales. Amit admits to a stranger, the person he is sitting next to at the wedding dinner, that his marriage has disappeared. It isn't like he is consoling his best friend, he just throws that comment out into the open during conversation. Megan doesn't ever say those words or talk about how their marriage has vanished a bit, but it is evident in her language and body language that she feels similar. She is a bit aggressive in her comments toward Amit. When she discovers the hole in her skirt and Amit asks her if she packed an extra out fit, she aggressively replies with "did you?" It's little things in her dialogue and body language that make it clear that she isn't as happy as she was. At the end of this story I guess there was some "reconcile." That doesn't make them fall into a better marriage though. I think the ending was put in to show that they both don't hate each other. At the end I would say Lahiri is trying to say that even if marriage is not always easy or great that you still have to stick by that persons side. In reality this I would assume is pretty true, but Lahiri doesn't hesitate to display how miserable people can be too. It was as if at some points in this story Amit and Megan were so distant that they didn't even know each other. It was upsetting to see how far a part they both became, driving silently in the car. Even though this story was sad, I think the overall message is good to take away. Even if the things aren't going as planned or as they should, you have to stick it out by that persons side, because even if you might not like them right now, deep down you hopefully still love them.

Only Goodness

This short story really played with my emotions. I hated Rahul as he became an alcoholic. I hated even more that fact that Sudah blamed herself for it. Was it really her fault that he became addicted to the substance? Even though she supplied his alcohol in his teenage years, she had no clue that he would become infected with this disease. Then when Rahul finally became sober years later and visited Sudah, Rodger, and Neel, I loved Rahul. He was a completely different person. He played with Neel like he was his own kid. He seemed like a genuinely great uncle He wanted to take him to the zoo and bathe him. He was being the best uncle ever, until he left him in the bath and passed out drunk. I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he put on an act the whole time. Was his playing with Neel and earning Sudah's trust an act so that they would trust him enough to leave him alone in the house so he could find their alcohol? I can't belive this would be true as he flew many, many miles and spent a lot of money getting to London. On the other hand if Elena was very strict with him staying sober maybe he realized this was the only way to get his fix. Either way I hated how Raul made me forgive him and love him only to go right ahead and shatter that trust. I guess Lahiri is commenting on how trust isn't a constant thing. People are always changing. No one can entirely count on someone else. She also is commenting on how everything isn't what it always seems. People aren't always completely honest with other people or really even theirselves. 

Hell-Heaven

I think this short story was a story about perspective. The mother, Boudi, resented Deborah for taking Pranab Kaku away from her. She hated the fact the Prenab Kaku was marrying this American and that he was leaving his Bengali culture behind without any hesitation. She had fell in love with Pranab Kaku and this American girl, with no Indian background, had swept him off his feet. It wasn't until Pranab Kaku and Deborah got divorced that Boudi discovered that Deborah felt terrible for taking Pranab Kaku away from them. She had always been the one to invite Boudi and the family over for events, but Boudi hadn't known this. She even went to the extent to say that she was jealous of the relationship that Boudi and Pranab Kaku had. Deborah felt like she could never know Pranab Kaku on that level. She was not a part of the Bengali culture and she could never totally become a part of it. Boudi on the other hand was jealous of Deborah and how she was able to fall in love with Pranab Kaku and marry him. She hated that she never got to spend time with Pranab Kaku anymore. It's funny that both Deborah and Boudi were jealous of each other. They never thought about how the other felt. They never tried to see things in the perspective of the other. Both of these women only saw the situation from their perspective and thus they both had a little bit of resentment built up for the other. It wasn't until they both sat down to talk that they realized they weren't that different of people.

A Breath of Fresh Air

This book, or the first story out of it at least, was surprisingly very interesting. I think this was due to the fact that Lahiri does not write very complex sentences. Her syntax and diction make her writing very easy to read and easy to follow. This first story was a refreshing breath after reading Pride and Prejudice, where the writing style took many chapters to get use to. I also think that Lahiri also writes only one level deep. What I mean by this is that her story isn't one where she wants the readers to try and decipher complex symbols or try to critically analyze her words. Lahiri rather, writes to tell a story. She writes to explain what she knows. She tells the story of the immigrating Indian community. She was raised in America as part of an Indian culture and her story shares the experiences and emotions she has had during her whole life. I enjoy these type of books, where the story is more important than the underlying symbols. It's easy to read and easy to understand, but I also get more out of a story like this one. I am appreciative of this style of writing.

Akash, Akash, Akash

Although Akash is only three years old, I am still taken aback by his actions. He seems to disregard everything Ruma says. She will tell him to stop doing something or come here and Akash will respond with no. Then there will be no other attempt by Ruma to do something about it. I know that Ruma is pregnant and that Akash has some jealousy that he will no longer be the baby of the family, but I still am amazed with the way Akash treats not only Ruma but also his grandpa. I think Akash's actions have something to do with Ruma's parenting. I know it's terrible to say, but I think that Ruma could have and could be a better mom. Sometimes parents have to lay down the law and I think it's too much effort for Ruma. The lack of parenting by Ruma seems to stem from Ruma not having the energy to really care if Akash does something. I think Ruma is sad and a little bit depressed right now in life and that contributes to her lack of control of Akash. I'm not totally trashing Ruma as a parent, but Akash's actions are obnoxious and irritating and I'm surprised Ruma does not take a more disciplined role. Ruma need to take time for herself as well, though. Her lack of motivation and effort need to be addressed and then I think she would have the energy needed to be a more involved parent.

When is Enough, Enough?

Macbeth has gone off the deep end. He has killed his best friend Banqou and the innocent Mcduff family without so much as pausing to think about his actions. His thirst for power is unmeasurable, as I believe Macbeth is now willing to do anything and everything to keep the crown. At this point in the story, he can't undo what he has done. There's no way of going back and un-killing anyone, so he can't decide to quit because he already too involved. He must keep the killing of Duncan and everyone else undercover because there's no way out of his situation without himself being executed for what he's done. Will the murders ever stop though? The only solutions out of the mess he has entangled himself into is to either run far, far away, kill himself, or keep murdering anybody close to him so he can remain king. I'm not sure if he'll ever reach a point where he can be king without having someone else he needs to kill. Enough may never be enough for Macbeth. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, has almost reached her breaking point. She is about to call it quits. Her heavy conscience doesn't let her sleep and she is beginning to go insane. I'm intrigued to see how she will back out of this murderous disaster. Is there any other option besides suicide for her?

Hallucinations

The hallucinations that we have seen in the movie thus far have been very strange, but serve as reminders to Macbeth that they have murdered many many innocent people. The most vivid hallucination that has occurred was when Macbeth saw the bloody ghost of Banqou appear at his dinner table. This image gave Macbeth a constant reminder that he had murdered his friend. Macbeth seemed to turn crazy when this hallucination happened. His brain and conscience were struggling with the facts of what he had done. These hallucinations are important to note because it shows that Macbeth still has sort of a conscience. The amount of people that have been killed by his orders don't sit lightly in his mind, as he is having these hallucinations. As much as I think Macbeth is a terrible, terrible person, he still has something in him that makes him realize what he is doing is wrong. His ambitions so far though, have outweighed these wrong doings.  I hope that as the story continues, the hallucinations will ultimately force Macbeth to stop his killings. I hope he will finally realize that him killing innocent people doesn't outweigh his own ambitions (this is a tragedy so I'm sure it doesn't end nicely though). I do predict that Lady Macbeth will eventually suffer hallucinations and then succumb to killing herself over what Macbeth and she have done. Macbeth might also kill himself but I believe Lady Macbeth will most definitely do it first. 

The Three Witches

The three witches are a little bit perplexing to me at this point in the play. I don't believe in magic or evil spirits or anything along those lines so it's hard for me to completely understand these three characters. I think the magical idea that surrounds these witches will make it difficult for me to connect this play to real life. Mack stated in his article that Shakespeare will help you discover and unearth things about life and about yourself, but if the witches become too supernatural it will be challenging for me to connect to this play on a deeper level. I am intrigued, from an entertainment point of view, to see where the character of the three witches goes though. I predict they will appear sporadically throughout the play and hold important dialogue that will move the play along or that will reveal things to the audience, but I don't think they will always be telling the truth. I think in the opening scene when they predicted Macbeth and Banquo's future that they weren't telling the whole truth. I could see the witches appearing in the play to stir up the plot a bit. I think that they will be conniving and sly just like a lot of witches in literature and film are. The three witches will be interesting to watch to see where their character development, if any, goes and what involvement they have within the plot.

Macbeth Almost has a Conscience...

The character of Macbeth has been interesting thus far. I had faith in Macbeth's moral compass for a while and believed that he might be a good person. Once he heard from the witches that he would end up king, he began thinking of ways to get that title. He thought that murdering Duncan was the only option to gain the crown. However, on a couple of occasions he had some internal conflict to whether murdering someone could be justifiable or not. I began to believe that Macbeth wasn't just out for power, glory, and wealth. In Act I, scene 3 Macbeth said to himself, 

"My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,

Shakes so my single state of man

That function is smothered in surmise,

And nothing is but what is not." 

He began to think that these new thoughts of murder that were circurling his brain weren't representative of himself. He began to be scared by the mere thought of killing someone. He also said to Lady Macbeth that he was having doubts and wouldn't be able to go through with the plan, 

"We will proceed no further in this business.

He hath honored me of late, and I have bought

Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,

Not cast aside so soon." 

Both of these texts led me to believe that maybe Macbeth was truly a human being. He began to seem like a genuine person with a conscience, but the strong will of Lady Macbeth ultimatley shined though, as she convinces him to go through with the plan. I am interested to see whether Macbeth's conscience eventually comes through or if Lady Macbeth's character is too strong for Macbeth to disagree with.     

Why read Shakespeare?

1. According to the article, what are some reasons that students find Shakespeare difficult to understand? What does Mack present as an answer to this?

Some students find Shakespeare difficult to understand because they don't get it, they don't understand what any of it means. The writing is too difficult to comprehend what is happening. It's too complex the first time they read it, so they figure that the next time they read it, it will be just as awful as the first. Some people just don't want to read it. They're just normal guys who don't think there is any merit in trying to decipher Shakespeare when they can enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Mack presents that reading Shakespeare the first time will be hard and not enjoyable, even the second time might be bad, but if you keep reading and reading it, it will eventually click and Shakespeare can teach a lot of lessons about life. 

2. According to Mack, when you finally “get” Shakespeare, what do you actually get?

Mack says, "Shakespeare offers us a lens on the real world in which we live." When you "get" Shakespeare you get a mirror on the real world. Shakespeare reflects the world and allows the reader to see its true nature. Ultimately when you can better understand Shakespeare you can better understand life. Mack says, "it means that finding beauty and meaning in Shakespeare is a sort of proving ground for finding beauty and meaning in life."

3. List and summarize five convincing arguments in answer to the question “Why read Shakespeare?”

1. Each time you read Shakespeare you can understand it a little bit more. It allows time for your interests to develop. The first time it will be hard to read and to understand, but with each successive time you read, you will be able to understand more and more of it. Shakespeare will grow on you, if you allow the time for it to do it.

2. It teaches you about the true world we live in. Shakespeare offers a mirror of the world and allows you to discover the true meaning of beauty and value in life. Reading Shakespeare can give you a "flight simulator" on life. It shows you situations that can happen in real life, and them shows you want consequences -good or bad- that can come from certain actions.

3. It will teach you about yourself. You can relate your own attributes and characteristics to those of the characters in the novels. Mack says that getting to know Shakespeare is like discovering where your ideas come from, and finding where your ideas come from is a profound way of getting to know yourself.

4. It will teach you skills of life. It gives the reader basic skills that will be useful across all fields of work. It will reflect the defects of the mirror of the mind so the reader can polish them and then can have a more accurate reflection of the world. Reading Shakespeare can reveal some faults and then gives you the skills to refurbish those faults into something better. 

5. Reading Shakespeare shows how the head and the heart need each other. Shakespeare will teach you about your emotional intelligence. You can better understand your emotions (where they come from, how to deal with them, how others have dealt with them before). 

4. Which one of these arguments do you find most convincing? Why?

I find Mack's concluding paragraph one of the most convincing portion of his lecture. He proposes that becoming better at understanding Shakespeare will make you better at the art of living. You will be better prepared to find true happiness and you will know what is truly valuable in life after reading Shakespeare. Of the five arguments he present though, I find the one about discovering more of yourself to be the most convincing. I think having a good grasp on who you are is vital in life. Without a deep understanding of yourself, you can't know what you find most important in life. It's hard to be truly happy without accepting who you are first. 

Song of Solomon Post 6

“And there was something more. It wasn’t true what he’d said to Susan Byrd: that it wasn’t important to find his people. Ever since Danville, his interest in his own people, not just the ones he met, had been growing”

This chapter shows a great change in Milkman's mindset. He has finally realized that money and wealth is not the sole reason to walk the earth. He discovers that he has an interest in finding his people and understanding their pasts. Milkman now understands that his past family has an effect on his identity. He is intrigued by all people and no longer sees individuals as a way to make money but as human beings. Also, Toni Morrsion's writing effectively conveys the message of how Africa-Americans pass down their history and stories through oral tradition. In this chapter this is seen when Milkman learns about his past and his past family and traditions though spoken memories. Milkman has changed in this chapter and this quote highlights how he no longer solely cares about himself, but also cares about the rest of his people.  

Song of Solomon Post 5

Chapter 11 begins to show how Milkman is maturing and finally turning into an adult. This chapter throws a lot of obstacles and hardships at him, but it's in these difficult times that Milkman reflects and realizes he needs to change. He is in unfamiliar places and no longer has his father's word to protect him, thus he is forced to grow up and protect himself. This chapter included him getting in a fight at Solomon's store and Guitar almost strangling him to death. In both of these instances there were pauses where Milkman reflected on his life, who he was, and what his actions have been. He evaluates his life up until this point and understands that he has been wrong in the past. This maturing stage that Milkman is going through to leave his childish ways behind and finally fully engage in adulthood can be seen physically in the novel when his limp in his leg disappears. This shows that Milkman is no longer an outsider, but now belongs to the world.

Song of Solomon Post 4

The end of chapter 9 concludes with a big turning point in the novel and in Milkman's life. Lena confronts Milkman saying how he has become nothing better than his controlling and overbearing  father. She continues, saying how he has been oppressive and had been effectively "peeing" on them (Lena, Corinthians, and their mother). She questions Milkman asking, “Where do you get the right to decide our lives?” This confrontation that Lena has with Milkman is a wake up call for him. I don't think he realized or meant to cause this much repression of his sisters and mother, but he now knows that he needs to do something about it. This discovery of self that Lena gives him awakes Milkman and prompts the journey he takes to find the gold. This journey, although, will ultimately be about Milkman's search for his identity.

Song of Solomon Post 3

Milkman finally learns what it is like to be a black in his community in chapter 8. His idealistic and privileged view of the world thus far comes to an end when the cop pulls him over without any reason. Milkman says, “What business they got stopping cars that ain’t speeding?” Macon responds saying, “They stop anybody they want to. They saw you was colored, that’s all.” This experience shows Milkman that in the real world he lives in, he is just another black man, whom cops will find guilty until proven innocent. The cops do not give him the benefit of the doubt because he is black, and this is Milkman's fist encounter with this type of situation. I think that this revelation for Milkman is important because up until this point he has never felt the real struggles of racism like the rest of his black community has. He has been living in this idealistic life and this experience with the cop has brought him back to the harsh reality he lives in.