Okay. So…He was arrested. The end. Oh yeah, and he figured out that he was in love with Sonya (or Sonia…whatever). Remind me again, what is the point of this book? I think Ebenezer said it well in saying that Dostoyevsky took the easy way out by the ending the book the way he did. I felt like there were supposed to be more pages (thank GOD there wasn’t)…something more to Raskolnikov’s life. However, there was no more.
Do I feel like time was wasted on this book? I’m not sure (and I hope Ms. Tramantano doesn’t hate me after this).
On one hand, I believe we benefited in reading two different literary genres (A Streetcar Named Desire, and Crime and Punishment), where both of the protagonists had inner conflicts. We’re able to compare and contrast Blanche DeBois and Raskolnikov, and we’re given the chance to try and understand how they each got to their mental state of mind.
On the other hand, I felt like Raskolnikov was a complete idiot, who should have realized he was going to fail from the very start. We were given a hint from the very start that Raskolnikov has a conscious, and he can be compassionate. Remember when he left the money for Katerina? That was our first sign. If he was capable of that- there was no way he was going to live with murdering someone- let alone murdering two people. Simple idiocy at its best is what I’m going to call it.
What I did enjoy, however, was how the actual crime occurred in the very beginning. Why I liked this so much was because we were given plenty of time to debate what forms of punishment Raskolnikov was going to endure. We got to see his psychological state change, gradually, and the torture he goes through in his own mind.
Do I recommend this book?
….
I’m sure you guys can assume for yourselves.
What were YOUR final, and true thoughts about the book? (I’m sure I can go back to some of your blogs and read about that.)
If you enjoyed this book, I would really like to hear your opinions as to why you enjoyed it (what characters your identified with, did you like Raskolnikov as a whole, and did Dostoyevsky succeed in keeping you reeled in?) I would like to be enlightened
Showing posts with label Rema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rema. Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Summer Reading Assignment: A Streetcar Named Desire Journal #3- Rema
What bothers me the most is that Blanche acts so innocent, when, in fact, she’s a nymphomaniac (a la “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?”). If she was honest from the very start, I’m sure she’d have fewer problems. Maybe Stanley wouldn’t have been on her case…but then again, the play wouldn’t exist if that were the situation. Poor Mitch considered proposing to her, but all of her lies got in the way. I read a lot of your blogs on this play, and it seems like majority of you are against Blanche from the very start. I feel like it’s unfair to her character, and I’d like to explore deeper into what made Blanche turn into the woman we all have been reading about.
If we put ourselves into her shoes for just a moment- how would you deal with life if you found out your husband had sex with another man? Personally, I believe this was the climax in Blanche's life (not in the play), and I believe this is what changed her. Blanche is a delicate character, and she relies on male attention and admiration for her self-esteem. To simply catch her husband, Allen Grey, having intercourse with another man must have been the biggest blow to her ego. She probably blamed herself for him turning gay. She probably thought he didn’t find her attractive or desirable. This is quite possibly the reason that Blanche had an affair with a younger student, or why she had many lovers- to try and convince herself that she was desirable.
The rape scene was a shock to me. My mind couldn’t fully register just how much Stanley wanted to degrade, and destroy Blanche- and I couldn’t believe he would stoop to that level. It was enough that he destroyed her relationship with Mitch, but to rape her…that was absolutely disgusting. Blanche did not deserve that. Something was wrong with her from the very start- she was mentally ill, with hopes of recovering (although some AA meetings might have been in store for her future, no matter what). Stanley raping her probably ruined her the most, and set her into her insanity further. It’s sad that Stella didn’t believe her, and remained with her husband. It’s a very disappointing ending, yet still highly entertaining.
If we put ourselves into her shoes for just a moment- how would you deal with life if you found out your husband had sex with another man? Personally, I believe this was the climax in Blanche's life (not in the play), and I believe this is what changed her. Blanche is a delicate character, and she relies on male attention and admiration for her self-esteem. To simply catch her husband, Allen Grey, having intercourse with another man must have been the biggest blow to her ego. She probably blamed herself for him turning gay. She probably thought he didn’t find her attractive or desirable. This is quite possibly the reason that Blanche had an affair with a younger student, or why she had many lovers- to try and convince herself that she was desirable.
The rape scene was a shock to me. My mind couldn’t fully register just how much Stanley wanted to degrade, and destroy Blanche- and I couldn’t believe he would stoop to that level. It was enough that he destroyed her relationship with Mitch, but to rape her…that was absolutely disgusting. Blanche did not deserve that. Something was wrong with her from the very start- she was mentally ill, with hopes of recovering (although some AA meetings might have been in store for her future, no matter what). Stanley raping her probably ruined her the most, and set her into her insanity further. It’s sad that Stella didn’t believe her, and remained with her husband. It’s a very disappointing ending, yet still highly entertaining.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Summer Reading assignment: Journal #2 A Streetcar Named Desire--Rema
If I had a husband that struck me, beat me, or inflicted any physical (or even emotional) harm to me- let this be an early warning to him: You won’t exist in my life afterwards. I absolutely despise the scene where Stanley beats Stella. Being drunk or angry does not pose as an excuse to beat your pregnant wife. The simple fact that Stella went back to him shortly after he beat her exposes Stella as a weak woman that is far from being independent. For once, I agreed with Blanche: Stella needed to get away from the monster of a husband she had; especially since Stella states that his physical harm to her comes as no surprise.
Ladies of our AP English class, I have a question for you- put yourself in Stella’s shoes. If you loved your husband as much as Stella loved Stanley- would you walk away from him after he hit you? Consider everything- you’re pregnant, and you “love” him, and you’d have nothing (but your sister- who also has nothing) if you were to leave. Would you do it? Alternatively, would you go back to him just as easily as Stella went back to Stanley? Honest responses would be great. Domestic violence is a serious issue, and there are women that go through worse abuse (emotional and physical) than Stella did- and continuously go back to their partners because they feel ‘protected’ with them. Truthfully, I don’t even know what I would do in that situation. I’d be torn- and more than likely go back to him (despite my previous warning to my future husband-to-be).
I loathe Stanley. He is an animal that cannot be tamed. It appears that once his mind is set on something, he’ll never give up (for example: trying to expose Blanche for what she genuinely is). I believe that he is sexist, and all about male supremacy (both qualities in a man that I detest very much). On the other hand, I must admit I have a soft spot for Mitch. He cares for his ill mother very much, and yearns to find a woman for himself. Unfortunately, for him, it had to be Blanche. Blanche charmed him, and made him think of her as a pure woman. Mitch wants to form a relationship with her, but she’s already built the relationship through her conniving, and untruthful ways.
Ladies of our AP English class, I have a question for you- put yourself in Stella’s shoes. If you loved your husband as much as Stella loved Stanley- would you walk away from him after he hit you? Consider everything- you’re pregnant, and you “love” him, and you’d have nothing (but your sister- who also has nothing) if you were to leave. Would you do it? Alternatively, would you go back to him just as easily as Stella went back to Stanley? Honest responses would be great. Domestic violence is a serious issue, and there are women that go through worse abuse (emotional and physical) than Stella did- and continuously go back to their partners because they feel ‘protected’ with them. Truthfully, I don’t even know what I would do in that situation. I’d be torn- and more than likely go back to him (despite my previous warning to my future husband-to-be).
I loathe Stanley. He is an animal that cannot be tamed. It appears that once his mind is set on something, he’ll never give up (for example: trying to expose Blanche for what she genuinely is). I believe that he is sexist, and all about male supremacy (both qualities in a man that I detest very much). On the other hand, I must admit I have a soft spot for Mitch. He cares for his ill mother very much, and yearns to find a woman for himself. Unfortunately, for him, it had to be Blanche. Blanche charmed him, and made him think of her as a pure woman. Mitch wants to form a relationship with her, but she’s already built the relationship through her conniving, and untruthful ways.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Summer Reading Assignment Journal #1: Crime and Punishment--Rema
I would like to know if anyone else simply finds this book to be tedious, and a bit hard to follow. I hope I’m not the only one. Although, I am still at the beginning, I hope my interest could be peaked as I read on. I find it hard to keep my attention focused on the words. Unfortunately, after reading several other blog posts on Crime and Punishment, it seems like I’m going to be the only one being blatantly honest about my feelings on this book. Raskolnikov (I have to keep glancing at the book to see if I’m even remotely close to spelling that right) gives us a lot of details, and I keep trying my best to imagine his cluttered, and frazzled feelings. I had to read certain scenes over to understand what was happening. I feel extremely slow, and it worries me to write this because I don’t know if I’m the only one going through this experience.
For example, I had to re-read the scene with Alyona…(Hold on, I’m looking for her last name in the book…) Ivanova (There we go!) to understand what was going on. Eventually, it clicked in my head that Raskolnikov (this is really going to take some getting used to…) is plotting something against her (without a doubt in my mind, I believe it has to do with murder. But why he wants to kill her is beyond me at this point.) After all, on his way to her place he was analyzing the scenery, and knew just what to expect as he got there. I found it ironic how Dostoyevsky had Alyona Ivanova and Raskolnikov be complete opposites of each other. Raskolnikov is handsome, young, and poor. Whereas Alyona Ivanova is unsightly, old, and quite the business woman (or so it seems). I also found Alyona Ivanova always trying to stare at Raskolnikov’s eyes to be peculiar, and I’m wondering if there’s any significance to that. Could it be that she’s trying to see past his impassive behavior, and understand his true motives?
The scene with Marmeladov in the tavern didn’t hesitate to confuse me further. I do not understand the point of this scene. I believe it was Anthony that stated it before- we do not learn anything about our protagonist in this scene. Raskolnikov is still a mystery. The only thing I’ve learned about him is that he’s very fickle, and doesn’t enjoy encounters with other beings. In this one scene alone, we get Marmeladov’s life story. His life story is one of sadness, and poverty. He drunkenly confesses that his daughter, Sonya, became a prostitute to help make ends meet. Recently, he had acquired a job (that got his wife, Katerina’s, hopes up) but got fired, and hasn’t been home in several days. Around the end of this scene, Marmeladov goes back home, taking Raskolnikov with him. We learn that Raskolnikov is capable of feeling emotion for other beings since he left money for Katerina (which he later regrets).
I hope this book gets better. It’s taking a lot of energy for me just to flip the pages, and go on.
For example, I had to re-read the scene with Alyona…(Hold on, I’m looking for her last name in the book…) Ivanova (There we go!) to understand what was going on. Eventually, it clicked in my head that Raskolnikov (this is really going to take some getting used to…) is plotting something against her (without a doubt in my mind, I believe it has to do with murder. But why he wants to kill her is beyond me at this point.) After all, on his way to her place he was analyzing the scenery, and knew just what to expect as he got there. I found it ironic how Dostoyevsky had Alyona Ivanova and Raskolnikov be complete opposites of each other. Raskolnikov is handsome, young, and poor. Whereas Alyona Ivanova is unsightly, old, and quite the business woman (or so it seems). I also found Alyona Ivanova always trying to stare at Raskolnikov’s eyes to be peculiar, and I’m wondering if there’s any significance to that. Could it be that she’s trying to see past his impassive behavior, and understand his true motives?
The scene with Marmeladov in the tavern didn’t hesitate to confuse me further. I do not understand the point of this scene. I believe it was Anthony that stated it before- we do not learn anything about our protagonist in this scene. Raskolnikov is still a mystery. The only thing I’ve learned about him is that he’s very fickle, and doesn’t enjoy encounters with other beings. In this one scene alone, we get Marmeladov’s life story. His life story is one of sadness, and poverty. He drunkenly confesses that his daughter, Sonya, became a prostitute to help make ends meet. Recently, he had acquired a job (that got his wife, Katerina’s, hopes up) but got fired, and hasn’t been home in several days. Around the end of this scene, Marmeladov goes back home, taking Raskolnikov with him. We learn that Raskolnikov is capable of feeling emotion for other beings since he left money for Katerina (which he later regrets).
I hope this book gets better. It’s taking a lot of energy for me just to flip the pages, and go on.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Summer Reading Assignment: A Streetcar Named Desire Journal #1-- Rema
Rereading a Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams aids me in sensing a new light being shed upon the playwright, allowing me to notice certain details that I didn’t bother to think twice about in my English class last year. For example, I never bothered to visualize the setting that Williams places for us before each scene. Personally, I just wanted to skip to the dialogue, and get to the end of the play. However, this time around I tried to keep my attention focused on details that are there for a reason.
One thing that I noticed, that I didn’t notice before was the name of the street in New Orleans that Stanley and Stella live on: Elysian Fields. Back in 9th grade when we were required to write a summer assignment on Greek or Roman mythology, I had chosen Greek mythology. Upon my research, I had learned about Elysian Fields. In Greek mythology, Elysian Fields is an underworld for heroes- a paradise after death. It was said to be wonderful place for heroes to reside in. Now, I don’t know if I’m reading too deep into Tennessee Williams’ intention with having his protagonists live on Elysian Fields, but I found it quite ironic. Blanche went to live with her sister, Stella, at Elysian Fields, desperate for a new start. What makes this ironic is that Blanche was hopeless, and after we learn that she had already lost so much (i.e; Belle Reve, her husband, her job, and her reputation) - it would be safe to assume that part of Blanche was already dead, and she was seeking a pleasure place- a safe, and familiar haven with her sister. Am I reading too much into this?
At the end of scene one, we learn that Blanche was once married. What seemed very sly, and peculiar to me was when Stanley asked her, “You were married once, weren’t you?” What was peculiar to me was right before asking that, he said to Blanche, “…Stella’s spoke of you a good deal.” If Stella had spoken of Blanche a “good deal” wouldn’t she have mentioned one of the most important, and devastating occurrences in her sister’s life? After all, Blanche’s husband had died young (she refers to him as “the boy.”) It seemed to me that Stanley wanted to expose some sort of weakness that Blanche possessed underneath her wealthy stuck-up attitude; as if it to show her that he was the one to rule the household, and she wasn’t going to come in his way.
One thing that I noticed, that I didn’t notice before was the name of the street in New Orleans that Stanley and Stella live on: Elysian Fields. Back in 9th grade when we were required to write a summer assignment on Greek or Roman mythology, I had chosen Greek mythology. Upon my research, I had learned about Elysian Fields. In Greek mythology, Elysian Fields is an underworld for heroes- a paradise after death. It was said to be wonderful place for heroes to reside in. Now, I don’t know if I’m reading too deep into Tennessee Williams’ intention with having his protagonists live on Elysian Fields, but I found it quite ironic. Blanche went to live with her sister, Stella, at Elysian Fields, desperate for a new start. What makes this ironic is that Blanche was hopeless, and after we learn that she had already lost so much (i.e; Belle Reve, her husband, her job, and her reputation) - it would be safe to assume that part of Blanche was already dead, and she was seeking a pleasure place- a safe, and familiar haven with her sister. Am I reading too much into this?
At the end of scene one, we learn that Blanche was once married. What seemed very sly, and peculiar to me was when Stanley asked her, “You were married once, weren’t you?” What was peculiar to me was right before asking that, he said to Blanche, “…Stella’s spoke of you a good deal.” If Stella had spoken of Blanche a “good deal” wouldn’t she have mentioned one of the most important, and devastating occurrences in her sister’s life? After all, Blanche’s husband had died young (she refers to him as “the boy.”) It seemed to me that Stanley wanted to expose some sort of weakness that Blanche possessed underneath her wealthy stuck-up attitude; as if it to show her that he was the one to rule the household, and she wasn’t going to come in his way.
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