March 03, 2005

BLOG ALONG PORTFOLIO

Well here is my collection of blogs. I can proudly say that this best portfolio. This semester I have grown in making a point and defending it. So I hope you enjoy reading my portfolio of blogs.


BOOK WORK: these blogs are just my general thoughts of "How to Read Literature Like a Professor (3 entries)" and "Eat, Shoots, and Leaves".
General Thoughts on Foster's Work
Continuing Thoughts on Foster
Foster's Work: More than Rain and Snow
Eat, Shoots, and Leaves

INTERNET READING: in these blogs I analyze the characters' relationships and interaction between them.
Thoughts on O'Connor's Work
London's Fire
Forster's Machine Stops

BE ONE WITH YOUR POETIC SELF: the poems I read came from the book "Sleeping on the Wing". These entries displays my thoughts and my attempts to analyze the poems.
Stopping for Death
God's Grandeur
This is Just to Say
The Long Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

SHAKESPEARE SAGA: this is collection of blogs that evolve around my thoughts about "The Tempest" and academic articles about it.
Watermelon, Hotsauce, and Fried Chicken
Thoughts on Rewriting The Tempest
Response to The Invention of the Human
Response to The Mirana Trap

GO ON COMMENT YOUR HEART OUT: these are links to some of my peers blogs, which I have placed my comments.
Academic Articles on The Tempest- Cantor and Dabydeen
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Bloom's Tempest Article

PICK A CARD ANY CARD: for my wildcard I choose...
Blank Verse: Tormented

Posted by AshleyThornton at 06:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 02, 2005

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves Response

I have to admit the panda joke was pretty funny. But a zero tolerance approach to punctuation is that a little too strict? Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, but than again some people do it on purpose.

In the Foreword part of the book, there is an example of a shopkeeper who use ungrammatical signs to draw people into their shop and talk the people into buying something. That sounds like smart idea to me.

We don't punish William Shakespeare for his punctuation use, we praise him for his uniqueness. Don't get me wrong, having correct punctuation is very important. I think there is a time and place for correct punctuation. In an academic paper it is very important, but when writing for fun it's not important.

I like the similes and metaphors that were used to describe punctuation. For example, "Punctuation will emerge as the Cinderella of the English language" and "Punctuation is no more a class issue than the air we breathe". I really enjoyed when the author compares us to the boy in The Sixth Sense. I thought that was really amusing.

Posted by AshleyThornton at 10:52 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

March 01, 2005

Response to The Invention of the Human

I have a question. Why is the part of Caliban mostly played by African Americans? I think that is kinda bias. Playing such a character is revolting and damaging to African Americans in my opinion. I understand in the past, that's what African Americans had to do to break the barrier. Another thing about that character bothers me is he is described as a beast. Half wild man and half creature and on top of that he's a slave. That's exactly how slaves were looked at. The fact when you arrange the letters around in his name and it spells canibal.

Another point is when the article refers to the sea. In the text it says everything is dissolves in the Tempest expect the sea. The sea didn't have to dissolved because it was just a tool to create the tempest and to bring everyone together so that their problems can be dissolve. If you think about the play isn't all the way dissolved for the audience. We are left to our imagination about what happens to Caliban. Does he stay on the island or go to with the others?

I liked what W.B.C. Watkins, critic, said about Prospero. The audience lead to believe that Prospero is full of wisdom, but we don't receive any. That makes you think. I guess this answers the question in the article "The Miranda Trap". The question is Prospero god? God provides wisdom for his people. Prospero doesn't give any.

Posted by AshleyThornton at 04:31 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Response to The Miranda Trap

I thought it was kinda amusing that James' daughter Elizabeth mirrored the character Miranda. I thought I was reading about Miranda's life for a minute. The dependence on the father is so similar. Reading about Elizabeth's son dying was very strange because her fourth son drowned in a tempest.

The point about if Prospero had a son on the island instead of a daughter, would there be a sexual element? The answer is know. Like the article said Miranda is sexual bait. Caliban wouldn't have made sexual advances to Prospero's son, unless he was a homosexual. Another question that arises in my head is, if Miranda wasn't a virgin would Prospero be so quick to jump to Miranda protection? What I mean by this question is Prospero seem to use chastity to keep her under his control. I guess that's what I'm trying to say.

Is Prospero God? Is Caliban the Devil? I would have to answer no. Just because Prospero used his powers to control people and the elements around him doesn't make him God. If someone manipulates another person, does that mean that person is God? No. As far as Caliban being the devil, that's kinda unfair. Just because he father is the devil himself doesn't mean he is the spawn of the devil. Caliban just hated Prospero because he was his master and techniqually Prospero did take over Caliban's island. He did have of plot of having him killed, but it didn't happen. If a person hates another person that doesn't mean they are the devil. They are either too caught in their hatred and/ or scared of the unknown.

I liked Miranda's Epilogue. Spoken like a true modern woman. The fact that the speech confronts Prospero using Miranda as an excuse for enslavement. It also tackles the fact that he referred to her as a foot instead of an individual. This epilogue is a sign of Miranda's independence.

Posted by AshleyThornton at 03:54 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 27, 2005

Thoughts On Rewriting The Tempest

Well, I would have to say there are some pretty interesting opinions in this text. For example, the thought about Prospero and Sycorax giving birth to Caliban. I think that idea is little out of the ball park. If you were to research, you would find out that Sycorax died of old age about twelve years before Prospero and Miranda get to the island. Caliban's father was supposed to be the devil. I guess if the devil could be his father whose to say that Prospero isn't. I still think it's out of the park and over a fence kinda idea.

The other opinion that really made my head spin was Suniti Namjoshi's poetry. The article states in the poetry that it is suggested that Caliban was a female. On top of that notion has a lesbian relationship with Miranda. Talking about thinking out of the box!!! I didn't get any thought of that when reading the play.

Posted by AshleyThornton at 09:14 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack