Monday, June 10, 2013

The Trojan War


Endless years ago, there was a war between the Trojans and the Spartans. This war was fought by Gods with different powers and purposes. It all began when Paris, the prince of Troy, abducted the wife of Menelaus of Sparta, Helen. When the Trojans wouldn't return Helen, Menelaus conducted the war. Another contributor to the start of the war was the commotion between the goddesses, Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite. These three all wanted to be the fairest, but only one goddess could hold the golden apple, or Apple of Discord, which would indicate the fairest by possession. After ten treacherous years of war, the Greeks decided to create a Trojan Horse to try and conclude the war. The Greeks dropped off the horse to the Trojans with a secret force of Greeks were hidden inside the horse, then sailed off. Finishing off the war, the secret army unlocked the Trojan gates, letting in the rest of the Greek army; this finally ended the Trojan war.

As a parody to this tale, a modernized version was written. This version was written as a play and used language that is more casual. I think that the characters in this play were emphasized to be more extreme than what they really are. Doing this, it helps the audience get a better understanding of what's going on. Additionally, the story was different due to the Trojan horse not being apart of the script. After I read this, I found that the original version was much more serious and contained far more troublesome language. I think that these changes were made because from generation to generation people have become less intelligent and creating a stupefied version of this story helps the audience relate and comprehend the story thoroughly. 

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Begin Again


Author's Note: I wrote this creative piece for my last conference of the year. I wrote it on a summer romance with conflicts occurring through the summer. There were some things in this piece that I tried to use as symbolism, so look for things like that. For example, I tried my best to make the ending sort-of symbolic with tying the "small shoe" and creating final peace for the end of the summer. Hope you enjoy. (:

There was once a time when I thought love was just a game. Where the players in it would make their move, but in the end, celebrate their own victory. I thought that enchantment was only for fairy tale stories. But don't believe what I used to think, for I was shown otherwise. The summer of 1982, I turned 17. I soon found that this summer at the age of 17- the age where freedom fought sanity- led to never before seen love and adventure.
*****
It began in a tucked away village, Thunderbolt, Georgia, holding just under 3,000 residents. Charms glowed through0ut the village, like the picturesque river that drifts into the Pacific. When these charms are observed for the first time, visitors find Thunderbolt irresistible. Raymond Peterson and his family did. The Petersons found the small village in Georgia so delightful, the family of four moved into a comfortable riverside home the summer of 1982.
To kick off every summer, there’s a graduating class party at the shore of the Wilmington River. As you would imagine, the class of ‘82 never really grew; if there was ever a new student, the world would fall on its backside. While Raymond came to town in the beginning of summer, the party was basically framed around him. Nearly all of the girls were spinning their hair about their fingers and displaying a flirtatious smile towards him. Despite the fact that Dakota Cambern was a ways away from the group of people, she was attracted to this new boy in town as well. Although, she wasn’t the type of girl that would throw herself out there like the others. During the beach party, Sarah Tucker accompanied Dakota; they were inseparable from birth. Of course, they were conversing over Raymond, they were talking about his radiant blue eyes and tossed blond hair. Amidst the chaos around the new guy, there was a spark; this was surely the start of something that was soon never to be forgotten. His glance caught her eye and they both seemed to be captivated by each other for forever in time.
Carrying out this trance they were locked in, Raymond divided himself from the flood of girls and glided towards Dakota. She was ecstatically frightened as her knees buckled and she felt her heart batter as if some wild thunderstorm was going on inside her chest. Though with every storm comes its damage and she began to wonder how this boy suddenly had the audacity to approach her. Dakota could only imagine how many girls he played with his beauty.
“Hey there, my name’s Raymond,” sticking his hand out, he beamed without a single care in the world, “I noticed you looking over at me and I just thought I might say hi.”
“Well…” Her nerves jumbled into tremendous awkwardness and she was awfully uncomfortable at this point. She had never really talked to many boys before, especially those she was fond of. Sarah waltzed off, leaving Raymond and Dakota alone and her voice started to give out, crackling on every word. “Hi, welcome to Thunderbolt,” she met his extended hand, “We’re all real close here, so, I hope you like it.”
“Thank you, I hope we do become closer. I think I’d like that,” he said with a wink.
“Well, I better go. Uh, my mom is expecting me.” She tightened her lips and bowed her head daring him to find the hidden secrets that were disguised beneath her black cardigan on the first day of summer. Dakota’s hair revolved around her neck as she took Sarah by the arm to escort her back to the house.
“Wait, um, it’s pretty early to be leaving, don’t you think?” Suddenly he appeared to be just as nervous as Dakota was. His cowardly face vanished just as fast as the morning dew on Southern ground. Once he noticed Dakota shifting her body back to him and presenting her interest, he lifted his arm and said, “Maybe you could show me around town, and then we could grab some food somewhere. You know, it would be good for me to get to know the place.”
Warming up to the situation, Dakota said softly, “Yeah, I guess I could show you around, give me a call on my home phone. Here, I can just write it on your hand, do you have a pen handy?” Raymond handed her a blue ink pen from his back pocket and she layed his hand over hers as she printed her digits in his calloused palm.
“Thank you, uh…” He raised an eyebrow, calling for her name.
“Dakota”
“Raymond, well, see you later then,” he waved and stared her down, already in love with every breath she drew and every step she took.
*****
As they sat in the front porch of the Cambern’s house, Dakota replayed the conversation in her head over and over until Sarah interrupted her repetitive thoughts.
“You like him,” Sarah said grinning and rubbing her elbow into her.
“Oh be quiet, I’m just helping him get to know the town,” she confirmed with herself, “that’s all I’m doing.”
“Sure, I saw the way you looked at him. Were we not talking about him before he came over, too?”
“I suppose, but didn’t he seem too arrogant and self-concerned? And I did not handle myself well. Certainly he doesn’t like me in return.”
 “I think he’s in love with you. His eyes were doggy and longing. I’m positive he’ll be calling shortly.”
The conversation ended when the telephone rang through the house. Sarah and Dakota took each other’s arms with anticipation and were at the phone before the third chime. Butterflies swarmed Dakota’s stomach and her mind was so crowded with thoughts in what to say, but she simply took a full breath and said, “Hello?” And for a moment, her heart stopped when she heard the voice on the other end of the call.
“Hey, it’s Raymond, I was just calling to see if you gave me the right number and to ask when are you free to show me around town.”
Dakota twirled the phone cord around her finger, like the pretty girls did with their hair, and reviewed her empty schedule saying, “Friday. I’m free on Friday. Is that alright?”
“It’s perfect, I can swing by at five o’clock. Will that give us enough time?”
            “Yes, it’s a small town and won’t be too long, so, I’ll see you then. Goodbye,” she said and on the inside, a smile was traced across her heart. For the first time, based upon one visit, Dakota was in love. Nothing compared the way her heart ached to see Raymond once again, and after their brief telephone call her heart established that this wasn’t solely a silly little crush.
*****
Friday morning, Dakota woke in the fresh sheets of her bed squinting at the rays of sun peeking through the blinds. In the light of the sun, she skipped off the bed and lead herself down the stairs for breakfast. 
“Good morning mom, what lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?” she couldn’t seem to put a cap on her excitement for this afternoon, the words leaped right off her tongue.
“Well, aren’t you in a good mood this morning!” her mother replied, “perhaps something farther than the weather is happening today?”
“Oh yes, I'm showing a boy around town today” she waltzed around the kitchen dancing to the silent music in her head.
Her mother grinned seeming to recall her High School days and responded, "That sounds like fun, why don't you go up and get ready now."
Continuing to dance, Dakota nodded and snatched an orange from the fridge.  She never had a boyfriend before and she prayed that Raymond would be her first one. This gave her the reason to dance, so just in case he asked her to, she'd be prepared. The palms of her feet bounced off the oak floors while her arms remained around an air figure. Advancing up the stairs, she played around carrying her arms among her pretend partner. Now in her room, all there was left to do was prepare for the event that she'd been waiting for.
Dakota's bedroom was a portrait to her life. Everything square and perfectly in line for her. When she walked in the room all that she needed was in sight. Her closet was just to the left. Her bed was positioned in the corner. Her nightstand was just bedside. And that was all that she needed.
Today was everything but the ordinary for Dakota. She threw on her favorite white blouse and blue-jean shorts and jumped on her bed, scattering the pillows. Anticipation was eating away at every living thing in her body and thinking about her first date never left her mind. It was around 4:40 when the doorbell gave her a comforting embrace. Dakota tumbled down the flight of stairs blind to the innocence of true love and what capabilities it withheld. Although, when she lifted her head, she saw Raymond in the doorway and her breath ran away from her, all she could do was widely beam.
Raymond made sure to arrive early to not disappoint or have her waiting. When he walked into the foyer he was awestruck by Dakota. He seemed to have lost his breath as well, but pulled through and managed to speak, "Hi Dakota, you ready?"
While he spoke, she almost lost her ground again; it was the first time he said her name and it sounded glorious. She gathered herself enough to say, "Yes, let's go."
Although it was a clumsy start to the afternoon, the visitation validated their fondness for each other. Raymond and Dakota left the house and headed for the one and only cafe in town. Throughout the evening they only grew closer by unveiling secrets and stories. The two were so insanely in love after only a few hours, they lost track of what they came into town to do. Buying one chocolate malt, they stayed at the cafe for the remainder of the night. As they engaged even farther in conversation, Raymond slipped his hand in hers. The stickiness of the malt rubbed off on their hands, but neither of them seemed to notice because they kept their hands together as if the ice cream was the kind of cement paste where diamonds sparkle at certain angles in the sun. Emotions in the room sang like the angles of Heaven above came down to introduce themselves to a small town in Georgia. Love tied their eyes together and the tour ended exactly where it began, exclusively due to time's sake.
Exiting the cafe, Raymond and Dakota were named a couple without even saying a word. His hands moved around her waist and at that moment she began her summer how other girls did four years ago, with a first kiss. However, Dakota didn't fall for Raymond because he made her feel like she was on cloud nine, she simply loved the way he made sure she knew that he felt the same way. He never once let her think for a second that she was anything but beautiful. And for their second, third, fourth, and many more dates, they couldn't get enough of one another.
It was nearing the end of summer and Raymond and Dakota lasted the whole while. One afternoon the two walked down to the river and sat on the sand overlooking the current. The comforting silence accompanied them while they had nothing to talk about. Enlacing their fingers, Dakota realizes that their love was stronger than the start.
Surrounding them, the weather was brewing up something hideous and they decided to walk back inside. As they entered the living room, Dakota's mother appeared quite startled at the news on the radio. 
"What is it?" Dakota asked, deeply concerned by the looks on her mother's face.
"We have to leave town very quickly. There's a massive hurricane coming, and the traffic is going to be backed up for miles," her eyes seemed dazed and she wasn't even making eye contact as she spoke, "as for you Raymond, we better get you back home."
So, that's what they did. Mrs. Cambern and her daughter dropped off Raymond to his house and then quickly stopped to pick up Mr. Cambern from the office. From there, the family of three hit the road and didn't look back.
*****
It was like the world was set on a ticking time bomb, only Dakota's was wound two times as fast. It was like a confused collage in her mind that took form of a cold-birthed tornado. Only, this tornado whipped of letters in the alphabet, molded together to single-handedly address her first relationship that she newly began. Devouring the life of the town, this definitely wasn't a tornado Thunderbolt was starting at; this monstrosity was a hurricane.
By the time the Cambern family returned to their home safely, they couldn't bear to observe the stolen scenery in their town. Homes were torn to pieces, leaving wood plates dispersed over the land as if they were dandelion snow lingering in the air after their homeland shooed them away. Neighbors were in each other's arms attempting to hold in the devastation that was crying out as far as the eye could see. Tears flowed just as high and rapid as the river did and there was no one around to save us in our hidden and old town, but God. 
As some amount of days passed in mourning, Dakota stopped by Raymond's house to reunite after the largest happening in Thunderbolt since the last hurricane before she was born. Her mind jumbled as she headed over to his house and the thoughts of the waves eroded beneath her. All at once, emotions ran too high and the white sun milked over everything in sight. Dakota's balance became just as puzzled as her vision and her feet gave out beneath her at the front porch of Raymond's house.
*****
The fog sat like blankets over the demolished, sleeping town. Houses remained splattered under the sun. Volunteers crowded over the land trying their best to assist the state of Georgia, clambering together like a hive of bees. Amidst the chaos, Dakota lie in a hospital bed silently waiting for answers that weren't promising. An IV chord was locked into her arm and her eyelids sat heavily over her eyes. While at rest, she was clueless to whatever happened, she awoke to a blurred picture of doctors hovering above her. They asked Dakota endless questions that she couldn't seem to find the answer to. What was her name? How come she couldn't think of her birthday? Missing information became too complicated for her and she drifted back to sleep.
A few hours later, she awakened to the bleached sun in the light of noon. Dakota gradually peeled open her eyes and to her surprise, she found Raymond waiting at the foot of the bed. Despite the fact that the couple only knew each other for a very brief amount of time, they shared the kind of love some never encounter. For the first time since she has been admitted to the hospital, her face lit up with joy fighting a proposed sickness that was supposedly defeating her. Their harmony for each other was found once again held hand in hand as conversation easily flowed. The simple reunification was enough to give her confidence for her consultation with her doctor to find what really happened not long ago. 
Time came for the meeting with the doctor and her mother grasped her hand, like her life depended on it. Although the town was going through their own tragedy, all was left outside the door and the ghostly white room became solidified, and the consultation began.
*****
Concluding the meeting with her doctor, there was nothing to fret over after all. Ultimately, what the radiologists, doctors, and neurologists discovered was a fluke and disguised what was really a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder.  This event was exaggerated to such a massive extent due to her heart's condition and limpness of her body; they considered her moment of fainting to be more than the simple solution of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. 
News flowed through the town, ear to ear, people became increasingly overjoyed with the results. Despite the  gloominess of the town, with recovering from the horrendous storm and what not, a surprise party was assembled for Dakota. The whole town celebrated in the midst of distress, simplistically rejoicing in the single lasting backyard from the hurricane, Raymond's. Ironically, Dakota found, this yard was just behind the porch that unlocked the previous confusion and almost composing a chronic disease.
Partying carried on through the light of the moon and the smile returned on Dakota's face beholding the presence of a town coming together, as they did in the start of the summer.
Breathing in the sense of contentment, she bent over to tie her white converse shoe on the tiny foot of hers. The loose ends dangled in the dirt and she lifted them to carefully cross the strings into a fit knot. And the knot held for the remainder of the night.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Between the Games

Author's Note: This essay was written to judge the way the novel The Hunger Games was transformed into a film. My goal was to identify how certain things used in the movie helped stay true to or depart from the novel.

Interpretation on a novel varies from person to person, which is why converting a novel to a film has mixed reviews. For instance, take the novel The Hunger Games that was transformed into a movie, some individuals were not happy with the final product, while others thoroughly enjoyed each aspect. I, for one, thought that the producers created a fantastic visual for the book. Although every little piece wasn't put in, the timing of the movie would have been too long and would lose the viewer's focus. Few of the many contributors for excellence in this film were background music, setting and props, and the makeup and costumes.

 Initially, I thought that one stand-out key to the movie were the different sound effects and background music. Scene to scene there are unique musical points that complete the display for the amount of intensity that is represented in the book. For example, when the contestants rose from their tubes, and the bloodbath began, there was an eerie pitch that carried out to a sort of violin playing in quick pulses which gave the viewer the sense of a rush that was explained through the novel. Another case of intense musical tones would be when Katniss is stung by tracker jacker wasps- which are deadly wasps that can cause severe hallucinations and occasionally death. In this scene, or section of the book, I think that the author wanted to make the reader uncomfortable and through the rattlesnake noise in the film, the producer was able to get viewers to cringe at that noise. Continuing on is another intensified scene where Katniss blows up the pyramid of supplies that the careers are keeping to themselves. The music in this scene plays an immeasurable part because it displays that she accomplished a lot by destroying those several items. Sounds like the ringing pitch that you hear at the top of your head and the muted voices she hears after the aggressive explosion give off that effect.  Lastly there's the scene where Rue- who Katniss thinks of as her sister- dies, the music helps the tears fall in the audience. From the angelic tone to the soft guitar playing, the music helps this movie jerk tears, like the book does, and informs the viewer that she's in a better place now.

Although, without the setting and endless props, the background music has no effect. Throughout the movie, all of the scene setting was spot on according to the novel. District 12 was just as dirty, grimy, and impoverished as the novel described; the Capitol was filled with buildings touching the sky and thousands of snotty rich people with technologies more advanced than we have today. Few of the many noteworthy props and elements were the older looking individuals in District 12 and their ragged clothing. When aged people with not a lot of money are added to the scene, viewers have sympathy for them which brings up the poor status. Additionally, how the producers included the rugged wood on houses and no sorts of technology anywhere extended that increased poverty. Old wood indicates an elderly town and everyone not being able to modernize anything. The non-existent technology, as simple as a shower or telephone, also represents how poor they all are. On the contrary, the Capitol is exactly the opposite. With all buildings and decretive items being cleanly cut and shining, it's easy to tell that the Capitol is for the rich. In every area of the Capitol you can see modern technology. For instance, the game makers' control room is so advanced with the floating touch screen and the way the area is set up. The props that make the control room seem so technologically advanced are the glowing blue color and the clean circular shape it's formed in. Found in another futuristic movie, Avatar, blue was a color used in the holograms to display the envisioned future. Overall, the settings and props were truly advanced whether it be in poverty or wealth.

With the set carrying out its role exceptionally well, what our eyes really draw attention to are the characters in the movie. The makeup artists and costume designers really showed their best work in this film, especially when they decorated the Capitol actors. Inside the novel, these characters were described as insane and filthy rich. How they were dressed and designed really displays how they were so rich they didn't know what to do with their money other than spending it on clothing and obnoxious accessories. Costumes were unique to every single person, as well as the hair and makeup. Whether it be women's hats twice the size of Lincoln's, or dresses that weigh more than a bag of mulch on a steamy Sunday, the Capitol was complete with these costume designs. Furthermore, in District 12 the children wearing respectable clothing to the reaping really set the mood for not only the poverty in that district, but the high emotions as well. The teenage girl's dresses were button down and revealing nothing with cupped sleeves over the shoulder. These dresses were all appropriate because that was all they had and fashion at a reaping was not a priority. Outside of the reaping in District 12, there were miners, with torn and greasy clothing representing their hard work, and elders, with battered clothes and slouched backs exhibiting their long and worn life.

Makeup and costumes were apart of the many aspects that were able to phenomenally dress the movie according to the novel. Whether people are able to see it or not is in their behalf. Through the background music, settings, and makeup and costumes, The Hunger Games was a true beauty when transformed into a film.  In the reader’s eyes, criticism may be around every corner. Although, if you look at the general emotions and symbolism through the novel, 
The Hunger Games film has a true connection with the novel it was based off of.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

After You My Dear Alphonse

Mrs. Wilson made assumptions that Boyd is poor and has little to no clothes. She offers him things that make reverse racism obvious. Some of the things she offers are a lot of food, clothes, and questions about Boyd's family's work situation. When she is asking Boyd these questions her son defends and says no he's like us too, but his mother doesn't understand. It's different compared to Pewaukee because everyone treats people equally. Although in the world as a whole, many people are disrespected through reverse racism. I think that the lesson that Shirley Jackson is trying to get through is that people cannot just assume someone is one thing or another because those assumptions may not always be right.

Monday, April 29, 2013

A Clean, Well-lighted Place- 2 paragraph

From the short story to the film, I think that there were both similarities and differences in the storytelling of each. Initially, I thought that just by looking at the aged man in the film it didn't replicate the old and lonely man in the short story. Certain things that could contribute to this is the lighting. Emphasized numerous times in the written story that the eldest customer always sat in the shadowed area of a tree that was just outside in the cafe's outdoor space. In the short story, they always said how it was light, clean, and put together in the cafe, but the man chose to sit in the only shadowy part of the cafe. This helped show the old man's lonliness and depression.

Furthermore, there are some similarities within the short film and stories. One thing I thought they did really well on was making sure that the difference between the bar and the cafe were significant. The cafe was obviously well lit, orderly, and everything was perfectly in tact. In the cafe the floors were shining and all of the chairs were set perfectly with a polished bar. On the contrary, the bar that the middle-aged waiter went to was dirtier and filled with people. This shows that there needs to be a place for people to go, into a clean and quiet environment, that doesn't have the people, noise, or dullness.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A Clean, Well-lighted Place


How does Hemingway use light and dark as symbols? How do the shadows fit in?

In this short story, the light and darkness of the café really carry throughout this piece. Initially, the lighting in the café represents life and being able to, or allowed to, provide for strangers. The older, and wiser, waiter constantly mentions the fact that the café is very well lit, clean, and pleasant for visitors. He also mentions the fact that people may want to come into the café at a late hour for the comfort of the lighting and warmth of the café. This is interesting, though, that the younger waiter mentions nothing about the lighting because all he wants is to go home. Lighting in this piece could also represent grace and lovingness towards others due to the care that the older waiter is showing while mentioning the well lit café often, compared to the younger waiter who does not bring up that fact. Additionally, the darkness symbolizes what they are discussing. The older, drunken man that was sitting in the only shadowed place in the café symbolizes the topic the waiters were discussing. The two waiters were talking about the man, specifically about the fact that he is always showing up drunk late at night when all they want is to head home to sleep. If it wasn’t for the shadowy corner, there would be no man and no topic to talk over. 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Poetry

Author's Note: I wrote a collection of poems for one of my goals. I actually had a lot of fun putting these together because I normally don't write a lot of poems so it was fun to experiment. These poems share the similarities of ending with a depressing tone. I tried to make these poems so that anyone could relate to it. Personally, I relate to each of these in specific ways, can you?

Waiting For the Future
Near in the future,
The wind breathes warmth.
Where the flowers are blooming,
And the grass is rising.
When the children are laughing,
And smiles are beaming.

Though for now we are stuck,
With our feet sticky in the mud.
Washed into the silence of daily life.
Dark clouds haunt mornings,
While tears streak windows.
All we can do is wait.
Until the storms clear,
Until our heads are straight,
Until right meets wrong,
All we can do is wait.

 
Don't Return
Warm wind brushes my cheek,
Though, you see, each day is unique.
Some days it's pouring,
Leaving me in mourning.
Some days there's sunshine,
Leaving all the pain behind.
But either way I go,
I always know,
Its return is near,
Now I'm here,
All in fear.


It Was Clear
Clear and there.
If you ask me,
That’s what I saw.
Broad as daylight.
Arising from the dust,
We all made it.
We were right there,
So close,
I thought I was grabbing it.
But somewhere in time,
Those last ticks on the clock,
My hands became too sweaty,
I slipped.
Finger by finger,
My grip loosened,
And loosened,
Until all I arrived for,
Was gone.