Why Read Shakespeare

Why Read Shakespeare? 

1. Mack claims that reading Shakespeare is so hard because it's complex and requires being read more than once. His answer of how to compensate for the difficulty is simply to read, read, and read again.

2. When you "get" Shakespeare you not only get the words written on a page, but you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you. 

Why Read Shakespeare? 

3. A Time for Developing Interests: By reading Shakespeare, students are forced to stick with something. They may initially write off a subject, claiming it is boring or too difficult. However, when they finally sit down and study it, they may find they really enjoy it. Reading Shakespeare helps students to learn this important skill that allows them to develop new interests.  

A Time for Exploring: Shakespeare gives us a better understanding of the world we live in as well as a better understanding of ourselves. It helps us understand the "characters" of the world and sometimes audiences find themselves in Shakespeare's characters. 

A Time for Self-Knowledge - Audiences are able to have a better understanding about the world around them after reading Shakespeare. Our society has taken a lot from him. When you get down to the root of an idea you are able to better understand it.

A Different Take on Skills - Mack claims that in today's world you need a broad set of skills to be successful in the workplace. Shakespeare is able to teach us these ideas. Many of the themes of his works are still relevant today.

There is Knowledge and there is Knowledge - Shakespeare shows you how to learn with emotion and by learning with emotion you gain a better sense of your own feelings. 

4. I find that "A Time for Self Knowledge" is the most convincing argument. It can easily be argued that his other points can be found with other authors. However, Shakespeare in many ways is the root of today's literature and even society. In math class you break complex problems down to their roots. That is when you fully understand a problem. We may never fully understand ourselves as humans but Shakespeare can help us almost get there. 

Talking About Literature

 Number four of Lewis Caroll's rules may be the most important if them all. Talking about literature, in many ways, is how a reader can receive the full extent of what a piece of writing has to offer. If no one talked about literature, great works of genius would just become words on a page. The meaning would be lost. Yes, you can read, digest, and interpret on your own, but it is when you do so with someone else that the real magic appears. You can learn so much from others. A passage that you merely scanned could have been of great significance to someone else. Where you saw an object symbolizing one thing, someone else may have gotten something completely different from it. The beauty in talking about literature is you can't be wrong. No one knows what the author was actually thinking. Readers can only guess. It's hearing other people's guesses that makes literature so fascinating. 

Room For Improvement

Virginia Wolf was am avid diary writer. In some cases her diary was a way to write down her inner thoughts, feelings, and even demons. I too believe that writing down your emotions is a therapeutic necessity. It is something only your eyes will see. Even in the case of Wolf, when she would rip apart her own word flow and grammar, it was hers alone to rip apart. When one is able to look at their own pieces of work and edit without their pride getting in the way, they have mastered the art of writing. You can always improve. No one will ever be a perfect writer. What makes a great writer is growth and willingness to improve. Virginia Wolf was a great writer. 

Tragic Creon

I would argue that Creon is the tragic hero in Antigone. While it seems that Antigone is the main character of the play, by the end she almost irrelevant. Creon on the other hand is relevant until the very end of the play. He is a noble and has a fatal flaw, pride. He lets it get in the way of his decision making. In the end, he is punished for his mistake, and almost all of his family is dead. He regrets his decisions and grows as a person. He knows what he did was wrong. He understands that in certain situations pride must be forgotten. Antigone just died. There is no growth or lesson learned. Creon on the other hand encompasses all the traits and does all the actions required of a tragic hero.

Two Thousand Years Later

Antigone and Ismene have very different ideas of what women are capable of. Ismene believes that they are weak and unable to stand up to men. In today's society, women have more rights than they did two thousand years ago. Still, in many places, women are  treated less than men. Women's rights is an extremely important issue. While we have the luxury of living in a country where women aren't faced everyday with obvious discrimination, others aren't as lucky. I'm not saying that women are better than men. There tends to be the stereotype that women interested women's rights all want to bite off men's heads. Honestly, I just believe there needs to be equality. Many women today, no matter where they live, are terrified to standup to men. If it's two thousand years later and women are still having the same issues, what does that really say about the world's progress?    

Modern Robin Hood

The law is not black or white. There's a lot of gray area. It's forever the Robin Hood conundrum. Is one ever really justified in breaking the law? Yes, sometimes they are. Think of all the progress our country has seen since it's birth. What was once illegal is no longer unlawful in some cases. It was people pushing (and in some cases breaking) laws that made change in the world. I'm not saying that everyone should start speeding and stealing, but when no one is listening and laws are oppressive it's time to take a stand. Laws are never set in stone. They are constantly being amended. We have rules for a reason. They keep order. However, they are not always made with every citizen's best interests in mind. It's those laws that need to be pushed. The real question that needs to be asked, though, is what laws are morally okay to object? 

Changing Our Water

There's a lot of things I want to change in the world. Some will never happen. I can't change the weather or the amount of hours in a day. However, there are things I can change. If there was only one thing that I had to choose, though, to change in my community it would be the littering that occurs in the creek near my house. The bay is already so polluted and people don't understand that every single piece of trash effects the Chesapeake. Yes, it may just be a single can, but if every person who was out on the water had the same mind set as that, the bay would be completely filled with trash. If everyone picked up a piece of litter they saw in the bay instead of throwing something in, maybe people wouldn't be afraid to swim in our water. I know that the litter has nothing to do with the chemicals and waste in our bay, but honestly I find water activities a lot more enjoyable when I'm not dodging trash. 

I Believe In...

There are certain things in this world that I fiercely believe in. I think that all humans are equal and it is absolutely heartbreaking that people look down upon others simply because of their race, sexual orientation, or religion. Every person in this world should have the exact same rights as others, no exceptions. I strongly believe in clean, sustainable energy. Our earth isn't going to be able to withstand the damage human's continue to inflict on it. We need to get our act together not only for our generation but also for every generation after us. I also believe that education needs to be accessible to all. The only way our population is going to continue advancing and be able to solve the issues that are present in our world today is if every person has the knowledge to make the world a better place. I think you get out what you put in. If you put bad energy into the world, life isn't going to treat you great. If you are positive and make the world a little better each day, you will be rewarded. Most importantly I believe change is an active process that everyone can contribute to. Without actually getting out there and doing something, nothing is ever going to happen. It doesn't matter how small or insignificant you think you are; every single person can change the world in one way or another.   

No Expectations

 Ashoke and Ashima had no choice of who they were going to marry. It was arranged by their parents. Gogol, however, did have a choice. His mother set him up with his future wife, but he he never was forced to marry her. Yet, with this freedom of choosing also came the possibility of making the wrong decision. Ashima was never unsatisfied with her marriage. It was her culture and the way she was raised. She had no high expectations of a great love. Gogol on the other hand grew up in a place where these epic love stories were expected. His expectations led to great disappointments. Even if you don't have an arranged marriage, there is no guarantee that you will be happy. The question is, would you rather have no expectations and never be disappointed or hope for a great love and have your heart broken? Personally, I believe there is no reward without risk.  

The Way Grief Changes You

Grief changes people. When Gogol's father dies, he suddenly starts feeling guilty about the way he treated Ashoke. Some people are changed for the worse by their grief. They become depressed and stop living because of their sadness. Gogol, however, is changed for the better. Of course he mourns the loss of his father, but I believe it is a wakeup call for him. He now understands his father better. He even slightly regrets changing his name. People all too often don't realize these kind of things until it is too late. Gogol cannot tell his father what he has come to discover; he is gone. I believe part of the reason Gogol marries Moushumi is because he is honoring his father wishes. Ashoke never officially came out and said he wanted his son to marry a Bengali woman, but I think he would be very happy Gogol has another connection to the culture he desperately tried to ignore his entire life. 

The Importance of Family

Gogol is constantly being pressured by his parents. He has very little say over many of the decisions in his life. They hold on so tightly that Gogol eventually pushes back. He chooses not to go to MIT because he wants to be somewhere that won't remind him of his parents. If Ashima and Ashoke had been in India they would be surrounded by family all the time. In America they don't have a large support group. They have other Bengali friends, but it is not the same. Gogol doesn't fully understand this. He is American. He has grown up in a different culture. His parents keep Gogol so close because he and his sister are the only family they have in America. Gogol pushes his family away when all they want is to be there to support him. He doesn't understand that they need him and he also needs them.

Gogol to Nikhil

Gogol deciding to change his name is understandable. It is often hard to be taken seriously when your name is odd. Gogol sounds childish not professional. While a name doesn't define your personality traits, it still defines you. It is your identity. No one wants an identity they are ashamed of. They want to wear their name proudly. Maybe it was a copout in a way for Gogol to legally change his name. It was his way of not dealing with the uncomfortable truth he had yet to accept himself as a person and his heritage. Still, it is justifiable. To take himself seriously, he needed others to do so as well. 

Extended Trip to Calcutta

Ashima and Ashoke decide to move their family to Calcutta for eight months. Gogol is in tenth grade. He has school, friends, and a life in America. It was extremely unfair of the parents to do this to their children. As a current tenth grader, it is almost impossible to imagine my parents telling me that we would be moving to a different country with a different language and way of life. Still, I have to sympathize with Ashima. She wasn’t much older than her son was when she was forced to move to the United States. This was her chance to return to her roots. As bad as I feel for her though, I am still appalled that both Ashima and Ashoke were okay with their son also taking an eight-month break from school. Over all, I think it was a mistake for the Gangulis to go back to Calcutta for such an extended period of time. 

Books of Comfort

When Ashima fits arrived in America she reread the handful of books and magazines she brought from home several times. When her daughter is first forced to move to India she did the exact same thing. People seek comfort when they are placed in a completely different environments. Many become attached to the books they read. They become a connection to the place they used to live. Just reading words written in their native language makes them feel at home. They're somewhere completely new with a new language. Reading their favorite books reminds them that their has some normalcy.

So Stubborn She's Practically American

In The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the main character Ashima is incredibly judgmental of her new home America. She hates almost every aspect of life there. Sometimes we hold on too tightly to what we want that we forget to enjoy what we have. People are stubborn. They pout and feel sorry for themselves. They refuse to be happy with what they have because they weren't given what they expected. In many ways these traits are commonly expected of Americans. Oddly enough, while Ashima feels no connection to her new nation, she already seems to be adopting their ways. She's so stubborn she's practically American.

Does Your Name Actually Affect Who You Are?

Does your name actually affect who you are? I would say yes it does. Everyone's name has a background wether it's just that you're parents thought it sounded nice or that you were named specifically after someone. Maybe your name was carefully chosen by some cultural practice. As Americans, I sometimes believe we loose sight of the importance of names in other countries. Here we have a diverse group of people with equally unique sets of names, but in some places names can mean so much more. When we hear names some make us think a person is from a certain place. Where we are born shapes part of who we are. It helps us develop our traditions, values, and ideas of the world. So when you really think about it doesn't that mean our names account for part of who we are?

Julia Alvarez's Inspiration for In the Time of the Butterflies

Julia Alvarez was not born in the Dominican Republic, but she lived there for the first ten years of her life. Her parents were part of the underground rebellion during a time of political turmoil, the time of the Mirabal sisters. The story starts with a woman who has Hispanic roots but is from America interviewing Dedé. It seems as though the interviewer is meant to be Alvarez herself. The author drew on her own experiences and her parent's political influence which probably helped inspire her to write the novel. She has told people in previous interviews she wanted to share the story of her country. Had the Dominican Republic not been a large part of Alvarez's life, she most likely would have never decided to write the book. Before the book, not many people outside the Dominican Republic were aware of the tragedy of the three sisters who perished for the greater good of the nation. Julia Alvarez brought the story to the world. She helped everyone remember so the world could move forward.

Point of View Throughout In the Time of the Butterflies

In the Time of the Butterflies gives the perspective of all four Mirabal sisters. It can get confusing at times switching narrators and time periods. However, it gives readers a unique insight into the stories of each sister and why they joined the rebellion (or chose not to in Dedé’s case). Minerva and Patria’s portions are written in first person. Mariá Teresa’s is also first person, but it is expressed through her diary entries. It seems to symbolize her innocence. She’s a child writing in her special little book she keeps hidden. Dedé’s story, unlike her sisters’, is told from third person point of view, almost as though it is her interviewer writing. Changing point of view, while occasionally confusing, helps separate each individual sister’s portion. The set pattern of each sister’s perspective set over three time periods also assists in keeping all the stories straight. Julia Alvarez’s set up for the novel gives it an interesting dynamic that I thoroughly enjoyed. You get to hear four stories all connected and intertwined into one large one over 22 troubling years.