Two-in-One

In class we discussed if it is possible for people to be more than one thing, such as Indian and American or Irish and German. I think it is possible for a person to be more than one thing, but I feel like they are pulled more to one side or the other. I feel that certain situations and people will cause them to relate to either side. I do not think they necessarily have to choose between one or the other, but in certain situations they are going to relate more to one side than the other. I think that it is totally up to the individual if they want to relate more to one side or not. I know when I am with my friends that I made up here I act more northern and I lose my southern accent, but when I am with my friends at home I have a heavy southern accent and tend to be more laid back. I think which side of yourself you choose has a lot to do with the situation and the people you are around.

(Friends from here..can you find me??)

(Peaches in ND!!!)

Having a place!!

Last week I realized that feeling out of place can happen at any location or time, but also having the feeling of being connected can occur. Last week my grandfather got sick, so my family and I went to visit him in the hospital. While being in the waiting room my family and I were joined by more family members from my dad’s side of the family. Some of them I have met and some of them I had not. While my parents were talking and introducing my sister and me to the new relatives, I sat back in my chair and observed my crazy family. I noticed that with a few of the new members of the family I felt a strong connection to them as if they had always been there and with some I felt like we were complete strangers. Since my dad was the only one to move away from his home town my cousins have all grown up together and where very close. My sister and I did not seem to fit in with them at all, we both felt out of place and different. Since they were all raised in a small town in the middle of Kansas most of them are “hicks” as I like to call it and since my sister and I are “city girls” we didn’t exactly fit in with them. While being in the waiting room I realized that my immediate family and I are very close and that I am highly connected to my sister. There were times when I would just look at her and she would laugh because she knew exactly what I am thinking. It’s really strange how certain people and situations make us feel out of place or connected. I think it has a lot to do with being in one’s own comfort zone or environment.

The End of "O"

Today in class we finished "O", I must admit that I was shocked and really didn't like the ending of the movie. I really liked the ending in Othello when they all died on the same bed and in "O" they all died in different places. The end of Othello made the characters seem very connected and left the reader/watcher with a very distinct impression of the story. Another thing that bothers me about "O" is that Hugo gets off free, he just goes to jail instead of dying like he did in Othello. One thing that I noticed about "O" is that Hugo kind of seemed to know that the plan was not going to work, when he got caught he didn't even fight or break down. Also in the end he says something about how he has all the attention now like he wanted. It makes it seem that he knew that his plan wasn't going to work, like he wanted to get caught so that his father and the rest of the town would finally pay attention to him. The plan in "O" also bothers me, there is no way that they would not get caught I mean almost every character touched the gun which means it had their fingerprints and Odin also touched Mike's glass with his bare hands which means that his fingerprints were on there too. I just think it is ridiculous that they would even think that their plan was going to work. One aspect I did like about "O" is that contrast between the white dove and the hawk in which I think plays on racial cues and the difference between Hugo and Iago. In general I like the movie, but I do not think that it is very realistic, especially the end.

"O"

I am really liking the movie "O" we are watching in class. It is really interesting how the director took something from hundred of years ago and put it into a very modern movie. It is amazing how relevant Shakespeare's works are to our lives now. Though Shakespeare is not universal, there are certain situations in "O" and Othello that translate into today. Such things as how Iago and Hugo both manipulate the people around them to get the things they want in life, which still happens today. Another situation is the racial/stereotypical indications, such as the hawk and the dove in "O" and how people relate violence, drugs and gangs to young black men (like they do in "O") It is fun to relate the book to the movie and find how certain things click. It is interesting how the director interpreted Shakespeare's words and how we are able to connect the scenes in the play to the movie. I think the movie also makes Shakespeare easier to understand and not so boring. I cannot wait to see how the movie turns out!!