Monday, December 8, 2008
4. Have you ever experienced a predicted dream?
I experienced predicted dreams many times. Sometimes in reality, I get dazzled and immobile, thinking the situation is just like the one I had in a dream or somewhere before. Such experiences amaze me, since it can't be explained by what we know so far. Another amazing fact is that when I was just born, the doctor told my mother that I will have long legs merely by looking at my body. In general, I think comments of others affect the outcome of one's actions. In physics, there is a phenomenon related to a cat being held in a radioactive box. Inside the box, the cat is both alive and dead, but once the box is opened, and the cat observed, the cat would be either alive or dead. Similarly, I guess what others say about my actions affect the outcomes much, since I am being observed.
3. Is there a personal incident in your life you wish could erase?
The part that I wish to erase from my life is when I was young, careless of my cultural identity. When I was a child, after living two years in America, I felt so attached to America and started to neglect the Korean culture and identity. Because I had such a happy memory while living in America, I idolized American culture and didn't care much about Korean culture. Of course, this foolish mindset of mine lasted for only a few years. This memory of mine is not a terrible crime like the one in Macbeth, but I regret having such foolish attitude.
In this play, after murdering Duncan, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel guilty and awful for what they have done. While Macbeth's cruelty and desire for power grows, Lady Macbeth declines and wants to escape from the haunting memory of the gruesome deed. I think this reaction of Lady Macbeth of totally plausible, since not everyone is always confident of what he/she does. Lady Macbeth, in this case, is probably in the situation where she somehow participated in a heinous crime, but wants to turn the time back and delete the deed from her mind.
If I were to be in a similar situation, I think I would be consumed with guilt, wanting to reverse time. Whenever I do something that is blameful, I tend to feel uneasy and to make effort to settle the situation. After all, if I become wrapped up in a murder, I think I would first feel extremely helpless, consumed with guilt, but trying to handle the situation later.
In this play, after murdering Duncan, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel guilty and awful for what they have done. While Macbeth's cruelty and desire for power grows, Lady Macbeth declines and wants to escape from the haunting memory of the gruesome deed. I think this reaction of Lady Macbeth of totally plausible, since not everyone is always confident of what he/she does. Lady Macbeth, in this case, is probably in the situation where she somehow participated in a heinous crime, but wants to turn the time back and delete the deed from her mind.
If I were to be in a similar situation, I think I would be consumed with guilt, wanting to reverse time. Whenever I do something that is blameful, I tend to feel uneasy and to make effort to settle the situation. After all, if I become wrapped up in a murder, I think I would first feel extremely helpless, consumed with guilt, but trying to handle the situation later.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
2. What do you think about the character of Macbeth?
As mentioned in question number one, I don't think Macbeth was originally a dark person. Before meeting the witches, he was a warrier who was proud of keeping his country safe. Also, even when he was about to kill Duncan, he felt remorse and admitted that Duncan was truly a great king. Even so, he still murders Duncan and fulfills the prophecies. However, I don't think Macbeth is really the one to blame. In my opinion, everyone is vulnerable to becoming greedy and desiring power. As a result, I think Macbeth was originally capable of dark deeds, but not the one to blame, since it was the witches who motivated him to realize his evil heart deep inside. If it were not the witches, then I don't think Macbeth would have conducted such crime. Therefore, I think the witches are really the ones to blame for the trajedy in this play.
1. Do you feel sorry for Lady Macbeth? Why or why not?
To begin with, I do feel sorry for Lady Macbeth, because she was involved in a crime that might have not happened if it hadn't been the witches. If Macbeth and Lady Macbeth didn't hear any of the prophecies, then they could avoid murduring the king and keep on living their lives as loyal thanes. Before the deed, Macbeth was a righteous warrier who was proud of gaining victory for his country in battles and was loyal to king Duncan, considering his remorse after finishing the deed. Macbeth admitted that Duncan was a respectable king and that killing Duncan would lead to numerous undesirable consequences, including the tears of the citizens.
Similarly, Lady Macbeth was an innocent woman as well. However, all people inherently contain the desire to be rich and famous. When Lady Macbeth heard of the prophecies, she transforms into a guide of Macbeth to facilitate his murdering of Duncan. In my opinion, almost everyone is vulnerable to the desire to be in high status, be rich, and be powerful. After all, I do not think Lady Macbeth is innately a malicious person, but it is just the witches' provoking Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's desire to be successful, deep inside. Therefore, I do feel sorry for Lady Macbeth, even though she assisted the terrible deed.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Poet I resemble the most
Among the three poets that we studied so far, I think I resemble the most with Emily Dickinson. I’m obviously not a literary expert who is full of literary inspirations, but I think I have some similar interest with Dickinson.
As we learned in class, Dickinson uses death as the primary topic for most of her works. She expresses death as a romantic process that is not dreadful. In “Because I could not stop for Death,” death was a part of an individual’s journey that leads to immortality. A few years ago, I frequently thought about death. “I heard that we don’t have consciousness like when we sleep if we die; then are we just disappearing from this world, both spiritually and physically?” This question, even though it is not the only one, is the question that always depressed me when I was in middle school.
Considering that Dickinson and I both ponder death as a process not merely a cease of consciousness, I think Dickinson is the poet I resemble the most.
As we learned in class, Dickinson uses death as the primary topic for most of her works. She expresses death as a romantic process that is not dreadful. In “Because I could not stop for Death,” death was a part of an individual’s journey that leads to immortality. A few years ago, I frequently thought about death. “I heard that we don’t have consciousness like when we sleep if we die; then are we just disappearing from this world, both spiritually and physically?” This question, even though it is not the only one, is the question that always depressed me when I was in middle school.
Considering that Dickinson and I both ponder death as a process not merely a cease of consciousness, I think Dickinson is the poet I resemble the most.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Personality and lifestyle
Having a nice personality and being a good person seem to be saying the same thing, but they are actually different. To simply state my response, I think having a nice personality is just one factor that enables an individual to be a good person. In other words, being a good person includes having a nice personality. The reason I thought this way is because a person can be a good person either with a nice personality or not. Having a nice personality is a specific idea that describes a person, while being a good person is too vague to be specific. A good person can be kind, generous, gregarious, and so on.
In that regard, I guess personality is a factor that describes a person. By knowing the personality, people can know each other more in detail, rather than just knowing someone is a good person.
Similarly, the difference between having a nice lifestyle and living well can be deduced. Having a nice lifestyle is just one of the factors that enable a person to live well. The phrase living well can mean wealth, family bond, donating money, and so on. Same as above, living well includes having a nice lifestyle.
In that regard, I see the common point between the notions of personality and lifestyle. Apparently, both personality and lifestyle are specific description of an individual. In other words, both personality and lifestyle are certain branch of description that enable people to know each other more in depth. For example, when a person gets to be informed of another, he/she would have a better and clearer guess if the personality is known, rather than just being said it’s a good person. Similarly, it would be more beneficial and informative if the lifestyle if mentioned, rather than just knowing it is a person living well.
In that regard, I guess personality is a factor that describes a person. By knowing the personality, people can know each other more in detail, rather than just knowing someone is a good person.
Similarly, the difference between having a nice lifestyle and living well can be deduced. Having a nice lifestyle is just one of the factors that enable a person to live well. The phrase living well can mean wealth, family bond, donating money, and so on. Same as above, living well includes having a nice lifestyle.
In that regard, I see the common point between the notions of personality and lifestyle. Apparently, both personality and lifestyle are specific description of an individual. In other words, both personality and lifestyle are certain branch of description that enable people to know each other more in depth. For example, when a person gets to be informed of another, he/she would have a better and clearer guess if the personality is known, rather than just being said it’s a good person. Similarly, it would be more beneficial and informative if the lifestyle if mentioned, rather than just knowing it is a person living well.
Suicide
Throughout the play, Willy tries to commit suicide several times. Considering that he leads an unsuccessful, hopeless life, this is not surprising, but the suicide attempts actually hold some significance. After seeing Dave Singleman’s funeral, Willy thought it was the ideal way a salesman could die. Also, it is known in this play that if Willy dies, there would be insurance money for the family. It is quite sad but the suicide attempts of Willy are not just insane acts, but are Willy’s ambitious, yet vain, desire to be recognized, and Willy’s love for his family.
Willy put a rubber pipe in the room below the stairs that supplies electricity. It is unsure how this would make Willy able to commit suicide, but it can be inferred from the context, since Linda says Willy was trying to kill himself and shows her sons the rubber pipe.
Another method of Willy’s suicide attempt was to crash the car. This play starts with Willy’s coming back from Florida with no energy, and immediately, Happy says, “Maybe he crashed up the car again.” This means Willy already had crashed the car before and there is some possibility that he would do it again. Unfortunately, Willy does die with a car accident, when he drove out at full speed after a daydream with Ben.
There could be two reasons conjectured in context. One is that Willy wants to be admired the same way he did Dave Singleman. Just as Dave Singleman was admired even after his death and was acknowledged as a great salesman, so does Willy want to be well-liked and expects people to be remembering him, praising him. However, this dream of Willy’s was too ideal, considering that he is an unsuccessful salesman, unlike Dave Singleman. The other is that Willy’s death could provide his family with insurance money, which will enable the family to pay back all the rents and be free from the confinement of money. At the end of the play, Willy dies with a car crash, and his family gets insurance money and pays the rent. Whether Willy purposely died or not, the family received insurance money, anyway.
Willy put a rubber pipe in the room below the stairs that supplies electricity. It is unsure how this would make Willy able to commit suicide, but it can be inferred from the context, since Linda says Willy was trying to kill himself and shows her sons the rubber pipe.
Another method of Willy’s suicide attempt was to crash the car. This play starts with Willy’s coming back from Florida with no energy, and immediately, Happy says, “Maybe he crashed up the car again.” This means Willy already had crashed the car before and there is some possibility that he would do it again. Unfortunately, Willy does die with a car accident, when he drove out at full speed after a daydream with Ben.
There could be two reasons conjectured in context. One is that Willy wants to be admired the same way he did Dave Singleman. Just as Dave Singleman was admired even after his death and was acknowledged as a great salesman, so does Willy want to be well-liked and expects people to be remembering him, praising him. However, this dream of Willy’s was too ideal, considering that he is an unsuccessful salesman, unlike Dave Singleman. The other is that Willy’s death could provide his family with insurance money, which will enable the family to pay back all the rents and be free from the confinement of money. At the end of the play, Willy dies with a car crash, and his family gets insurance money and pays the rent. Whether Willy purposely died or not, the family received insurance money, anyway.
Dave Singleman, like Willy, is a salesman in this play. However, unlike Willy, Dave Singleman is a very successful salesman who could make living just by calling buyers and selling products. At first, the name appeared to be ironic, because his last name is Singleman, and I thought it represents loneliness and isolation. Considering that Dave Singleman is such a great salesman, I realize that the last name “Singleman” actually was supposed to represent the fact that Dave Singleman was a remarkably influential salesman who could sell products with his own power (single man’s power).
As mentioned above, Dave Singleman is a successful salesman, unlike Willy. As a salesman, Willy knows well about Dave Singleman and admires him. The reason why Willy admires Dave Singleman is that Singleman is well-liked. Throughout the play, Willy frequently emphasizes the importance of being well-liked to his sons, Biff and Happy. Even though Willy is not a very well-liked salesman, he wants his sons to be well-liked, but the sons are not well-liked, either.
This is why Willy admires Dave Singleman, being well-liked. Willy went to Dave Singleman’s funeral and actually saw how well-liked he was. In Dave Singleman’s funeral, there were thousands of other salesman and buyers. Willy was strongly impressed by this funeral and highly admires Dave Singleman, for his being well-liked.
Apparently, as a salesman, being admired by other salesmen and being well-liked by buyers are great honors. While Willy is the case of achieving neither of the honors, Dave Singleman is the one who actually achieved both, so Willy finds Dave Singleman especially admirable, regarding salesman profession. However, just because Willy admires Dave Singleman and thinks that’s the way salesman could honorably die, it doesn’t mean Willy is only pursuing a way of dying. Of course, Willy hopes to be admired after his death, but his motivation for salesmanship also has to do with a way of living, rather than a way of dying, because he wants to be well-liked and wants to sell products well in his career.
As mentioned above, Dave Singleman is a successful salesman, unlike Willy. As a salesman, Willy knows well about Dave Singleman and admires him. The reason why Willy admires Dave Singleman is that Singleman is well-liked. Throughout the play, Willy frequently emphasizes the importance of being well-liked to his sons, Biff and Happy. Even though Willy is not a very well-liked salesman, he wants his sons to be well-liked, but the sons are not well-liked, either.
This is why Willy admires Dave Singleman, being well-liked. Willy went to Dave Singleman’s funeral and actually saw how well-liked he was. In Dave Singleman’s funeral, there were thousands of other salesman and buyers. Willy was strongly impressed by this funeral and highly admires Dave Singleman, for his being well-liked.
Apparently, as a salesman, being admired by other salesmen and being well-liked by buyers are great honors. While Willy is the case of achieving neither of the honors, Dave Singleman is the one who actually achieved both, so Willy finds Dave Singleman especially admirable, regarding salesman profession. However, just because Willy admires Dave Singleman and thinks that’s the way salesman could honorably die, it doesn’t mean Willy is only pursuing a way of dying. Of course, Willy hopes to be admired after his death, but his motivation for salesmanship also has to do with a way of living, rather than a way of dying, because he wants to be well-liked and wants to sell products well in his career.
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