IRA

In my new IRA book, a major issue in this story is ethics and morals. The other elven princes fight this war in a less brutal manner. The protagonist of the story, Alith Anar, fights this war brutally. Some might say that he has no ethics or morals, but the fact is that his tactics are effective. The other princes think that Alith is in the wrong for using the tactics that he does. This is how the issues of ethics and morals come into play. While Alith isn't innocent and he's certainly using extremely brutal tactics, he isn't like the cultists. The cultists sacrifice people in the names of their gods and for their own perverted pleasures, while Alith uses the tactics he does for revenge and to free his people. Also, Alith doesn't attack innocents. Another thing I believe is worth noting is that Alith, while young, is a very gifted military tactician. You also have to admit that while he's very committed to his goal of vengeance, he's also a good leader, capable of inspiring others. Because of Alith's experiences he's becme very bitter. This also leads to the reason why he has issues with the other princes and such because of the fact that they don't understand why their military tactics won't be effective in fighting the druchii. They may consider Alith's waging of war to be dishonorable, but this is the only way he can fight an effective war with his lesser numbers.

IRA

In this book, the main character and protagonist is Alith Anar. While he is indisputably the hero of this story, he isn't what you'd typically think of as a hero. Events in his life have conspired to change his personality utterly. In this way, I believe he can be viewed as a tragic hero. He's not a tragic hero in the sense that he fails at his goals. Rather, it's what happens to him that makes him a tragic hero. The murder of his family gives birth to a dark hero. It also raises the question as to whether environment or yourself effects you the most. In Alith's case, I believe it to be both. He already has a more serious personality and is very fiercely independent, causing him to really want to fight Morathi. But I personally believe that if his entire family hadn't been murdered, he wouldn't be so committed to fighting her. Another interesting facet of this story, related to the kind of hero Alith is, is the fact that he is a character motivated by revenge, rather than altruism. In most stories, the hero does everything he does out of altruism. In Alith's case, he is primarily motivated by revenge, as well as a sense of duty. He feels that he must lead the Naggarothi because there is no other suitable prince of Nagarythe who isn't druchii. Also, Alith's character can be said to represent the lengths people can be driven to because of the events in their lives. Another primary focus in this book is religion, mainly the cults. The cults in this book follow the various cytharai, or dark gods. The most prominent cult is the cult of Kaine, Lord of Murder. The depictions of these cults and their gruesome sacrifices isn't just literal, it's also a symbol. The druchii and the acts they committ can be viewed as representitive of the darkness in all are hearts. It is also a way of seperating the druchii from the other elves.Granted, Alith's tactics seem gruesome and brutal, but in comparison they are far less horrifying acts than the followers of the cytharai have committed in the name of their "gods."

IRA: Shadow King by Gav Thorpe

This book is a tale of revenge. It's set on the island of Ulthuan, where the high elves live. The main character is Alith Anar, a prince of Nagarythe. His family are all murdered after they defy Morathi, who usurps the throne of Anlec. Cults to the cytharai (dark gods) are sanctioned and allowed under her rule. The Anars rebel against her and fight a guerrilla war against her. Eventually, they fight in open battle. Alith's father is killed and when they return to Elanardris (the Anar's home), he discovers his entire family has been murdered. He vows to avenge his family and all of Nagarythe against Morathi. One of the major questions this story raises is this; Can you fight fear with fear? To explain this question you must know that since Alith and his force of Naggarothi are vastly outnumbered, they fight a shadow war (they call themselves the Shadows). The Naggarothi who fight for Morathi are called druchii (dark elves), though they are all high elves, but because they willingly choose to follow her and most belong to one of the cults, they are called druchii by all the other high elves. So back to my main point. Alith uses fear to terrify his enemies, making them fear him and his warriors more than they do Morathi. Basically, since he can't overwhelm them with a large army, he uses guerrilla tactics and physcological warfare. He is a very smart and crafty enemy, realizing that you can't just kill your enemy, you have to make the rest fear you. Considering his lack of numbers, Alith has to use phychological warfare. His grasp of this displays the fact that, while he's young, he's a very gifted tactician. In short, this book is very interesting because the main character is a dark protagonist. Most hero's in stories aren't dark and revenge obsessed. It's quite a contradiction. It's almost as if he's a hero and a villian at the same time.

IRA: ANALYSIS & RECOMMENDATION

Here i am going to give a recommendation for this book (The Towers of Midnight). I personally like the book but i plan to attempt to give an unbiased analysis and recommendation of the book. It is a well written book, detailed and fairly easy to understand. There is plenty of background, which helps you understand the mindset of the characters. Now, there is another issue in this book which most people would consider negative but it is also a positive thing. The book tends to repeat itself a lot, going over events in the history of their world, as well as events in the previous books. While this can be repetitive, it is also a good thing so that if you start reading the series midway through, you can still understand whats going on. So it has both negative and positive points. Another good thing about it is the characters. They are relatable and human. They're just normal people. They aren't totally larger than life. They aren't just one-dimensional. They are three-dimensional and have very developed personalities. This is something that not all books can boast. While this book has one major conflict that binds all the characters and everything together, it also has a lot of smaller, personal conflicts and other things going on in it. This prevents it from being tedious. If it didn't have these smaller issues and only focused on the major issue all the time, it would be kind of boring. This book has the potential to be a very dark story and while it is at times, it also has comedic relief. I believe this is a common problem for many stories. You can't have it be all dark; you need some humor in the story. Admittedly, its a rather long series, but the fact it is and has still remained interesting with new material and with interesting plot turns and character developments, reflects well on the author. Another thing that impressed me is that he doesn't let his personal religious views influence his story. This story has elements of various religions in it (Budhism, Hinduism, and Christianity), which shows that he doesn't exclude religions simply because they aren't his. This is a common failing of authors, i believe. They frequently let their personal views interfere with their stories. If they could discard their personal biases, they would be able to create a wider range of literature.

Overall, I believe this book is very good. I readily admit that i might be somewhat biased in my recommendation. I also concede the point that it has negative points and isn't perfect. I admit that my analysis of the book is probably biased. However, i also believe that it definitely isn't the worst book ever written.  So, in my opinion, however biased it may be, i would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I'd recommend it to fans of sci-fi/fantasy books in particular. You don't have to be a fan of fantasy to enjoy the book, though. So, to recap, go out and read these books. I know you'll enjoy them.

IRA

In the Wheel of Time series, there are elements of more than one religion. First off, with the reincarnation and cyclical way time moves in this series, its got elements of Buddhism and Hindhuism. But with having the Creator and the Dark One, it also has elements of Christianity (as well as the struggle between the two). Even the fact that people worship either the Creator or the Dark One reflects the religions in our world (the real world).

I also noticed that there seems to be only one religion in these books. Sure, there are elements of various religions in the series, but theres only one religion or belief system in this series. Actually, i find it pretty interesting that while some doubt the existence of the Creator or the Dark One, most do believe. I also realized that their belief in the Wheel of Time and that its turning is what allows their land to exist isn't so much religion as a fact of life.

IRA

Something i have noted in this book, as well as many others. You begin to notice that many things that were long-running issues in the previous books are being resolved. It's understandable, as the series is nearing its conclusion. For example, Mat has finally killed the golem, Perrin has finally accepted that he is the leader of the Two Rivers, as well as accepting his connection to the wolves. I find it interesting to see the change in these characters in the book. They have all changed drastically since the series started. Things they once struggled against, they now accept, whether its death, marriage, the ability to channel, or leadership (just to name a few). This is also anothger example of the coming of age nature of these stories. You could also say that they've gained the wisdom to realize that there are things you can change and things you can't.

I've also noted a similarity between Oedipus and the Wheel of Time series in general: prophecy. They both have prophecies in them. In Oedipus, all the prophecies have come true no matter how they tried to avoid them. There are alot of prophecies in the Wheel of Time series, so its hard to say if all of them have come true or will, but many of them have. This raises the question of whether or not prophecy is immutable or if it can be changed. Its a question of free will vs. predestiny (this is also something of a theme in the WoT series).

IRA

In this book, after a long struggle with his sanity, Rand al'Thor has finally overcome it. He's accepted the fact that he was Lews Therin in a previous life and so he now has all those memories and no longer hears his voice. As i mentioned before, this is a coming of age story. I believe this is also a reference to that. While its not exactly the same, it also shows how the events in your life shape you. Also, in this book, the end draws near (for this world and Age). I believe that Tarmon Gai'don is very similar to the apocalypse, which is an event which is referenced in pretty much every culture. It has the same basic concept as all the other apocalyptic events in various cultures. Everyone fears it but at the same time believes it to be inevitable (same in WoT series). This book shows you a bit more of the struggle between good and evil (Rand and the Dark One). Most of the other books show his struggles between other people, not necessarily Darkfriends. This one, however, is a bit more focused on the major struggle of the series. I find that many of the characters in these books have a lot of similarities with ancient cultures and their gods. Prophecy is also a major part of this series. This story is about personal and social struggle.

Loves Labours Lost: Humor

In class, we played a game to demonstrate the way they acted in the play. This showed the humorous side to their way of courting their loves and the sort of stilted, exaggerated way of speaking they had. I think that there is humor in the way they speak, since it's so exaggerated. It's also rather funny how they all deceive each other. Overall, the sheer ridiculousness of it makes it funny.

There is also humor in this play because they all vow to keep their oaths but in the end they all break them. The characters are also funny simply because of the way they act. Honestly, its actually kind of funny how they lie all the time. They lie for the sake of lying, which while true to human nature, leads to humorous situations when they get caught in their own lies.

Loves Labours Lost: Journals #5 & #6

Journal #5

I chose to speak about the scene from Holofernes perspective. I believe that he feels that everyone else who's present (maybe not Nathaniel) is an idiot. I believe he considers Armado to be somewhat ignorant and too wordy, though he's actually being hypocritical without knowing it. The fact that he speaks so much Latin is an example of his pompousness. I believe he feels distaste for the whole situation, because of the people he's with. I would also like to point out that at least Moth and Costard seem to notice his pompous attitude (they comment on his manner of speech).

Vocabulary

Quondam- of an earlier time; former.

Peregrinate- an obsolete word for foreign.

Hornbook- a leaf or page containing the alphabelt, religious materials, etc., covered with a sheet of transparent horn and fixed in a frame with a handle, formerly used in teaching children to read: a primer or book of rudiments.

Preambulate- 

an introductory statement; preface; introduction. Synonyms: opening, beginning; foreword, prologue, prelude. Antonyms: epilogue, appendix, conclusion, afterword, closing.

the introductory part of a statute, deed, or the like, stating the reasons and intent of what follows.

a preliminary or introductory fact or circumstance: His childhood in the slums was a preamble to a life of crime.

(initial capital letter) the introductory statement of the U.S. constitution, setting forth the general principles of American government and beginning with the words, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union. …”

Journal #6

This play is full of lies. None of these characters can be honest to save their lives. Their penchant for lying, even if only to mock others, brings them far more trouble than necessary. If they could just be honest and say their feelings straight out (both women and men) they would have far fewer problems. Its not just about their love that they can't be honest, they can't be honest with anybody. None of them seem to be capable of having an honest conversation. As far as the relationship between truth and love goes, it seems to imply that most people can't be honest about love. It seems to say that love makes liars out of us all. Basically, you give your love empty words. Compliments, gifts, all of it empty and meaningless. If we could just bring ourselves to be honest, then I think we'd find far more happiness in love and elsewhere. I'd say that the relationship between truth and language is almost nonexistent. Honestly, its very hard to discern the truth from their words because they bury it in so many meaningless and empty words that its almost impossible to understand the meaning of them. I believe it applies to human life in the sense that it shows what people are like. It also shows that if we were just more honest, life would be far simpler, but we're all just a bunch of liars.

Vocabulary

Knavish- like or befitting a knave; untrustworthy; dishonest.

Archaic. waggish; roguish; mischievous.

Unbosom- to disclose (a confidence, secret, etc.).

to disclose one's thoughts, feelings, or the like, especially in confidence.

Vouchsafe-

to grant or give, as by favor, graciousness, or condescension: to vouchsafe a reply to a question.

to allow or permit, as by favor or graciousness: They vouchsafed his return to his own country.

to condescend; deign.

Troth-

faithfulness, fidelity, or loyalty: by my troth.

truth or verity: in troth.

one's word or promise, especially in engaging oneself to marry.

Loves Labours Lost: #4

He says it is impossible to study without knowing love or beauty. He also says that beauty and love can teach you, as well. He says that they see their learning in their eyes. Here's the exact quote:

"And where we are our learning likewise is:
Then when ourselves we see in ladies' eyes,
Do we not likewise see our learning there?"

I think he's referring to the reflection of themselves you see in someones eyes (both literally and figuratively). He uses a lot of rhetorical references, such as Hercules, the Sphinx,  and Apollo. He uses these to convey the fact that love is immensely strong and impossible to resist. The effect of this is that they come to the conclusion that they aren't forsworn. As he goes on arguing the point that they aren't forsworn, he says that women's eyes are the Promethean fire,
"they are the books, the arts, the academes,
that show, contain and nourish all the world:
else none at all in ought in ought proves excellent."
He's saying that without them studying and learning are impossible. Without them, how can they study and learn? Basically they are the inspiration for it. As such, they are fools to forswear women. He also says poets never wrote without having felt and experienced love. When they did, their verses were magnificent. Example of what they could do:
"O, then his lines would ravish savage ears
And plant in tyrants mild humility."
So all in all, he uses his arguments to prove that they are not forsworn and can woo (or court) the French ladies.

Vocabulary

Coursing- the sport of pursuing game with dogs that follow by sight rather than scent: a direction or route taken or to be taken.

Idolatry- excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc.

Coxcomb- a conceited, foolish dandy; pretentious fop.

Misprision- a neglect or violation of official duty by one in office: a mistake or misunderstanding: failure by one not an accessory to prevent or notify the authorities of treason or felony: a contempt against the government, monarch, or courts, as sedition, lese majesty, or a contempt of court.

Loves Labours Lost: Journal #3

Holofernes

Holofernes style of talking is fancy, and he also talks haughtily. Basically, he thinks he's really smart and great. In short, he's conceited. Though he does talk fancily, he's actually a bit plainer spoken than some others in this play. He makes a lot of comparisons. He also mocks Dull because he thinks he's uneducated and not that smart. Example:

"The deer was, as you know, sanguis, in blood; ripe
as the pomewater, who now hangeth like a jewel in
the ear of caelo, the sky, the welkin, the heaven;
and anon falleth like a crab on the face of terra,
the soil, the land, the earth."

"And, to humour the
ignorant, call I the deer the princess killed a pricket."

Nathaniel

Nathaniel, like Holofernes, is more plainly spoken. So you know, i mean they are plainly spoken in the sense that you can actually tell what they're talking about. That being said, he does speak a bit haughtily. He's also rather condescending to Dull. He also thinks he's very smart (conceited). Example:

"Truly, Master Holofernes, the epithets are sweetly
varied, like a scholar at the least: but, sir, I
assure ye, it was a buck of the first head."

"Sir, he hath never fed of the dainties that are bred
in a book; he hath not eat paper, as it were; he
hath not drunk ink: his intellect is not
replenished; he is only an animal, only sensible in
the duller parts:"

Dull

Dull is a less well educated character than the others, so i suppose as a result he's less concerned with following the latest fashion of talking as they do. He is also more plain soken than the others. Though Nathaniel and Holofernes are as well, he is still more plain spoken than them. Even so, he is still smart and witty. He's simply less obvious about it and doesn't feel the need to prove it by speaking in complex and meaningless words. Example:

"And I say, the pollusion holds in the exchange; for
the moon is never but a month old: and I say beside
that, 'twas a pricket that the princess killed."

Don Armado

Armado is a conceited, arrogant, show-off. He puts so many round about words in when he talks or writes that it becomes ridiculous. He can't have a straight-forward conversation to save his life. Example:

"Great deputy, the welkin's vicegerent and
sole dominator of Navarre, my soul's earth's god,
and body's fostering patron."

Jaquenetta

She is the most plain spoken character in the play thus far. She's not as educated (can't read), and doesn't try so hard to be witty. Example:

"Good master Parson, be so good as read me this
letter: it was given me by Costard, and sent me
from Don Armado: I beseech you read it."

Moth

Moth is witty and somewhat disrespectful. He is intelligent, though. The predominant feature of his language style is his mocking and sarcastic ways. Example:

"As swift as lead, sir."
"You are too swift, sir, to say so:
Is that lead slow which is fired from a gun?"

Vocabulary

Pricket- a buck in his second year.

Coppice- a thicket or dense growth of small trees or bushes, especially one regularly trimmed back to stumps so that a continual supply of small poles and firewood is obtained.

Commonwealth- the people of a state or nation viewed politically; body politic.

Pia mater- the fine vascular membrane that closely envelops the brain and spinal cord under the arachnoid and the dura mater.

IRA

In this story (all 13 of the books), the main character is basically destined to die from the beginning. He is expected to save humanity and in return everybody basically fears and hates him. Rand al'Thor is the main character, and a tragic hero. Now, his success isn't necessarily a given, but pretty much all of the prophecies about him, and Tarmon Gai'don (the Last Battle), agree that he will die regardless of whether or not he wins or loses. But then again, the prophecies do say , "his blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul, sacrifice for man's salvation." It never specifically says he will die, but it does seem to indicate it. All in all, though, because of this he is definitely a tragic hero. Another thing that i find it interesting to observe is the fact that though he is destined to save them, they dread his coming. Part of the reason for this, I'm sure, is the fact that if the true Dragon Reborn has come, then it must mean that the Last Battle will be soon. Also, the Prophecies say that he will bring about another Breaking of the World. This is another reason that they fear and hate him. Personally, i think they should show some gratitude to him, since he's going to willingly sacrifice himself for their sake.

In books 1-4, Rand had hoped he might survive the Last Battle. But in some of the last books, from about 5-12, I'd say, he had started to think death would be a relief. Though i think he still kind of hoped that he'd survive till about book 7 or so. But from about then on, he started to seriously think about wishing to die. But in this book, I think he's sort of embraced death. Basically, he's not thinking about death as a release or something to seek out, but something that he must accept. He's willing to die now, and he won't avoid it. He's sort of embraced the Aiel saying, "Life is a dream from which we all must wake." So that basically kind of shows the Aiel philosophy on death (they've embraced it).

As i explained before, men channel saidin and women saidar. To channel saidin, you must control it. To channel saidar, you have to embrace it. In my opinion, this is a symbol for yin and yang. Its also said that saidin is far more violent than saidar. "An ocean of fire", "molten steel and steel-shattering ice", are several descriptive terms used for it. Saidar is described as a gently flowing river, though if you can't surrender to it, it can kill you or sear the ability to channel out of you as easily as saidin can if you lose control it. Saidin is always a struggle, a war if you will. Saidar is a surrender and if you can't surrender to it, you can't use it. So, as you see, they are polar opposites (like yin and yang). Also, they're the force that drives the Wheel of Time. They couldn't do that on their own. Like yin and yang, light and darkness, they couldn't exist without each other. Though i'd like to point out, neither of them are evil, they just are. They can be used for evil, or by evil people, but they aren't evil in and of themselves. Also, the Wheel of Time controls all events, including bad things, but it isn't evil, either. It just is. That could also be seen as a symbol that good can't exist without evil, light can't exist without darkness.

Loves Labours Lost: Journal #2

Rosaline

Rosaline style of talking is rather sharp. She is quick-witted, so her responses are pretty fast. She might be called a bit shrewish because of the way she talks, but i believe it shows her intelligence and unwillingness to be cowed. I'd also say she's somewhat sarcastic, as well as mocking (her comments are barbed, too). Here's a couple of examples of her style of talking:

"Pray you, do my commendations; I would be glad to see it."
"Is the fool sick?"
"Alack, let it blood."
"The hour that fools should ask."

Princess

The Princess seems to be humble. When Boyet compliments her beauty, she dismisses it as just talk. She also basically says beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not in words. She's also intelligent, quite capable of matching wits with Ferdinand or anyone else. She can also be rather political in her responses, criticizing one minute and apologizing the next. Here's some examples of her language style:

"Were my lord so, his ignorance were wise,
Where now his knowledge must prove ignorance.
I hear your grace hath sworn out house-keeping:
Tis deadly sin to keep that oath, my lord,
And sin to break it.
But pardon me. I am too sudden-bold:
To teach a teacher ill beseemeth me.
Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming,
And suddenly resolve me in my suit."

Boyet

Boyet is the consummate courtier, always flattering. I think he's a bit of a suck-up. A prime example of this is the way he talks to the Princess. I also have to say he's kind of witty (comparing lips to pasture,sheep, etc.) and a bit love obsessed, particularly when he says all that stuff about Ferdinand (the King) looking at the Princess. Here's an example of his style and the main reason i think he's a suck-up:

"And wherefore not ships?
"No sheep, sweet lamb, unless we feed on on your lips."
"So you grant pasture for me."

"Be now as prodigal of all dear grace
As Nature was in making graces dear
When she did starve the general world beside
And prodigally gave them all to you."

Costard

Costard's style is somewhat humorous and argumentative. He's also rather witty, as seen when he argues that he hasn't broken the oath about not speaking or going near a woman by arguing about the wording of it. Basically, he's the comedic relief. Here's an example:
"I do confess much of the hearing it but little of
the marking of it."
"I was taken with none, sir: I was taken with a damsel."
"This was no damsel, neither, sir; she was a virgin."
"If it were, I deny her virginity: I was taken with a maid."

Ferdinand (King)

Ferdinand's language style is somewhat arrogant at times, as well as being kingly. He is usually polite, though. Like all the characters in this play, he's also witty. He also speaks grandly, like a lot of other characters but then again, this is a Shakespearian play. Here are some examples:

"Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live register'd upon our brazen tombs
And then grace us in the disgrace of death;
When, spite of cormorant devouring Time,
The endeavor of this present breath may buy
That honour which shall bate his scythe's keen edge
And make us heirs of all eternity."

Biron

His style of talking is humorous and merry, as well as witty and joking. He's incapable of having a straight-forward conversation, too obsessed with witty language. Here's an example:

"This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy;
This senior-junior, giant-dwarf, Dan Cupid;
Regent of love-rhymes, lord of folded arms,
The anointed sovereign of sighs and groans,
Liege of all loiterers and malcontents,
Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces,
Sole imperator and great general
Of trotting 'paritors."

Vocabulary

Prodigally- wastefully or recklessly extravagant.


Votaries- ardent devotee of some aim or pursuit.


Hobby-horse-  1. a stick with a horse's head, or a rocking horse, ridden by children. 

2. a figure of a horse, attached at the waist of a performer in a morris dance, pantomime, etc.

Welkin- the sky; the vault of heaven; the sky, heavens, or upper air.

Loves Labours Lost: Journal #1

The humor in Act I is rather hard to understand and notice, simply because they say it in a serious way. I have to admit, it took me a while to see the humor in some of the lines. Heres an example of humor in Loves Labours Lost:

Costard
Me?

Ferdinand
[Reads] 'that unlettered small-knowing soul,'--

Costard
Me?

Ferdinand
[Reads] 'that shallow vassal,'--

Costard
Still me?

Ferdinand
[Reads] 'which, as I remember, hight Costard,'--

Costard
O, me!

Now, it might be hard to see the humor in this, because its dry and they say it in a serious way.  But i think its actually rather funny. Honestly, the way they talk is rather humorous in general, simply because they talk so fancily. The way Costard acts like he has no clue that the letter is talking about him adds to the humor of it. In general, Costard seems to be a rather humorous character. When he enters the scene, it gives it the first major dose of humor (more noticeable). I also think another humorous facet of it is the way that Armado talks. By the way Biron, Ferdinand, and the others are talking they are also anticipating a good laugh from Armado's letter.

Ferdinand
A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron
How low so ever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Longaville
A high hope for a low heaven: God grant us patience!

Biron
To hear? or forbear laughing?

So clearly, they find Armado's flowery language very amusing. Personally, so do i. Also, they are asking for the patience to not laugh. This is another example of less obvious humor.

Vocabulary

Academe-
Any place of learning, a school.
The public grove in Athens in which Plato taught.

Grosser-
unqualified.
flagrant and extreme.
indelicate, indecent, obscene, or vulgar.
lacking in refinement, good manners, education, etc.; unrefined.

Gentility-
good breeding or refinement.
affected or pretentious politeness or elegance.

the status of belonging to polite society. 

members of polite society collectively.

Forsworn-

to reject or renounce under oath: to forswear an injurious habit.
to deny vehemently or under oath. 

to perjure (oneself).

to swear falsely; commit perjury.

New Independent Reading

Okay, sorry for the confusion, but I changed my book choice for the independent reading. I could tell you why in detail, but suffice it to say i really don't like the book.

I am now reading The Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan, Book Thirteen in The Wheel of Time series. It's a very complex story and its pretty hard to explain, but i'll try. One of the themes in this book is good vs. evil. Basically, theres a Creator, and then theres the Dark One. Think of them like God and the Devil, if you will. There's is an age old struggle, the Dark One trying to destroy the world, the Creator trying to preserve it. Instead of fighting this battle directly with each other, they use humans to do so. This is the major struggle of the series.

The main character in this book is Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, He Who Comes With the Dawn, Car'a'carn, Coramoor, etc. Those are the majority of his titles, according to the different prophecies and cultures that have them. So, as you can see, though all these prophecies differ, they are all about one person. He is destined to save and destroy the world, and die doing so. As you can tell, he has a lot of responsibility. A Shienaren quote sums it up pretty well, "Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain." To a certain extent this book is also a coming of age story, though it focuses quite a lot on the struggle between good and evil.

The Wheel of Time refers to how they believe in a sort of cyclical pattern to everything, rather like Hinduism and Buddhism. They also believe in reincarnation, at least for certain people. Most of the time, the people who are reborn don't remember their past lives. Certain souls are generally only reborn for a purpose. Rand Al'Thor is an example of a reincarnation. He is the reincarnation of Lews Therin Telamon. He also has some memories of being Lews Therin.
There are channelers in this story, which vaguely resembles magic. I'll post a more detailed definition of it later. Basically, there are male and female channelers. Some are born with the ability to channel, and will do so no matter what. Others can learn. Men channel saidin, and women channel saidair. In the Age of Legends, thousands of years ago, Lews Therin attempted to reseal the Dark One in his prison (it did work) but in the process, the backlash tainted saidin. So now, any man who can channel will go insane, and their body will start to rot while they're still alive. A rather gruesome death, to say the least. Earlier in the series, though, he cleanses saidin, though any male channelers who were insane before it was cleansed will remain so.

Another theme of this book is stereotypes. Theres a stereotype that Two Rivers people are stubborn. It's true, but its still a stereotype. Duty is an important thing to all of these characters. Rand, for example, only accepted that he was the Dragon Reborn because he felt it was his duty and he knew no one else could do it. Another thing i found interesting about the characters was how they view themselves and how they view what they do. They don't think of themselves as heros, merely as people doing what must be done. Also, they aren't totally out of this world people, they are just like us. Granted, they live in an entirely different world, but their personalities are just like regular people. You can really relate to them, rather than being intimitated by their larger than life personas.

Independent Reading 2

In this book there are many battles. They are described as being extremely brutal and bloody, but the knights, even after witnessing it, still wish to join the battle. This displays their courage, as well as showcasing the difference in their societal views as compared to modern day.

Arthur has a dark dream, which seems to indicate that there are dark days ahead. In this book, he's not the only one who has significant dreams. This seems to be a central theme to this book, having somewhat prophetic dreams. This leads into another potential theme, which is prophecy and foreordained events. Some of these characters have their deaths seemingly already decided, which raises the question of whether or not everything that happens has already been decided or not.

Arthur unwittingly sleeps with his half-sister, conceiving a child with her, who will be Sir Mordred. By doing this, he unwittingly sows the seeds of his own destruction. He has committed a sin, so God is displeased with him. It's God's will that he will be punished for his sins. He sows the seeds for his destruction by fathering Mordred, for he will one day destroy Arthur, his knights, and his kingdom.

This story has an almost fairytale like quality to it. It has magic and prophecy, but it could actually just be an exaggerated tale of actual events. Rather like Beowulf, who could easily have just been a regular warrior, King Arthur could have actually existed. This story is also realistic in the sense that a lot of these knights, Arthur included, have affairs. Now, is it necessarily true that he slept with his half-sister and conceived a child who later destroys him? It's far more likely that, if this story has a basis in fact, that it was just someone who wanted power and so he decided to attack.

There is a certain irony in the fact that though Arthur sinned and God will punish him for that, he actually conceived the means for his own punishment. This is also another example of how religion is such a central part to their lives. An atheist would say that they died and there's no divine punishment behind it, but someone who's religious would say that it's God's roundabout way of punishing him. Merlin tells Arthur that he will die an honorable death, which might be because though he sinned, it was unintentional and he did so unknowingly.

Though everyone is so seemingly devout, plenty of them have committed sins. For example, King Lot's wife, Arthur's half-sister, committs adultery when she sleeps with Arthur. Also, the fact that they kill so many people in battle, though they never say so, is actually a sin. This brings us back to the rampant hypocrisy apparent in their society. To quote Voltaire, "It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets."

 

Tragic Hero & Analysis of Things Fall Apart

Tragic Hero

I believe a tragic hero is someone who tries to be a hero (according to their societal views), sometimes succeeding or failing, and then dies.  Okonkwo definitely has attributes of a tragic hero. One attribute is the fact that he tries so hard and still fails.  He is a hero in the sense that he tries to do whats right, though what he views as being right isn't necessarily the case. Another thing that makes him a tragic hero, is that he tries to preserve his people's traditional values. The main reason he objects to Christians is how they're trying to supplant his people's traditions (revere their ancestors, gods, etc.). In this sense, he is trying to stand up for whats right. He is trying to prevent his people's destruction, though he doesn't realize this. His people may not be destroyed in the physical sense, but as a culture they are slowly dying.

Analysis of Things Fall Apart

Though Things Fall Apart focuses on the destruction of the Ibo people's culture, it is also a prime example of many cultures total lack of understanding of other cultures, as well as the destruction of many supposedly "primitive" cultures.  The British think that the Ibo's culture is primitive and unsophisticated, when in reality it is extremely intricate.  It also demonstrates how we have destroyed so much that we can never get back.

I also believe that this story has a personal aspect to it, as well as a cultural one.  The personal aspect is about Okonkwo. He is actually rather relatable as a character. He undergoes a personal struggle and eventually gains everything he's ever wanted, but in the end he loses it all. He's driven to the edge of despair, to the point that the only thing he can do is to take his own life. For Okonkwo, in my opinion, this has to be far worse than being killed, because the one thing he feared most has come to pass: failure.

The reason Okonkwo is a relatable character is because, like most people, he is afraid and lets his fear rule him. Can any of us honestly say we're any better? For example, if you're afraid of heights, there are plenty of things you can't do if you let that fear rule you. This makes Okonkwo very human in my opinion. There is a certain irony to this story. He let his fear of failure drive him, but in the end it was this fear that killed him. He didn't wish to be thought weak, so he counseled that they should go to war, as well as killing the messenger.  If he hadn't done this, he might not have been driven to the point of killing himself.

Independent Reading

I'm reading The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck.  Basically, its the classic story of King Arthur written into modern english. 

Something that annoys me alot about it is how all the lords don't believe that the sword chose Arthur simply because he's young and to their knowledge not of noble birth, though in fact he is.  This shows just how hypocritical they are because they swore that they would abide by the swords judgement, which would be God's judgement.  Also, they keep postponing the decision to name Arthur king.  They repeatedly have as many people as possible attempt to draw the sword out of the stone.  No matter how many times Arthur draws the sword from the stone, they don't seem to want to believe he's the true king.

This leads up to what i consider to be a theme in this story, which is religion.  Their belief in God plays a major role in their lives.  Also, i believe that hypocrisy (particularly towards religion) is also a theme in this book.  They are hypocritical in their faith because if they truly believed they wouldn't question the sword's choice for king.  Granted, blind faith isn't necessarily a good thing, but they did swear to abide by the sword's choice. 

Merlin is an interesting character.  He delights in mystery and misdirection, which is probably one of the reasons he is what we think of when we think of wizards.  Now, i personally think its a stereotype to view him and all wizards in stories as having to be old, bearded, and gray.  I wonder how that stereotype even developed?  It's also interesting to see these people's views of wizards as compared to, say, the Puritans.  Whereas Merlin is respected, the so-called witches were killed.  Now, there is a difference between the two, but most wouldn't see the difference (witches & warlocks are connected to the devil, wizards aren't).

I also believe that another theme in this book is honor, or lack thereof.  Loyal knights gain alot of honor (both for their loyalty and courage in battle).  Now, some caharacters in this book are seemingly honorable but i don't believe they are.  Uther may have been a good king, but he lacked honor in my opinion.  Uther had Merlin disguise him so he appeared like the baron (then he could sleep with Igraine).  Granted, he later marries her, but the fact that he was willing to do this shows his lack of honor.

This leads to Merlin's lack of honor.  He was the one who used his magic to disguise Uther and he certainly wasn't forced to do so.  He had a purpose, true, but its still dishonorable.  He also disguised two of Uther's loyal knights, which also shows a certain lack of honor on their front.  They were willing to aid their lord in such a thing, though the fact that they do so shows loyalty (another theme).

Now, so you know honor is both something you can gain by performing acts of courage, being a good warrior, being a good king, loyalty, etc.  It also refers to behaving with honor (not being cowardly, following a code of conduct, etc.). Honor in battle is still around even to this day, which is something that is definitely taken from earlier civilizations.  Also, honor can also be adapted to suit modern day ideals.

Fear

Countries fear that others will take advantage of them by either conquering them or trying to control their actions.  I'd say they probably fear that they'd stop trading with them or stop giving them their support.  I'd say that the biggest fear would be that another country would attack and try to take control of their country, which would mean war, in all likelihood.  So, war is definitely a very major fear (death, too).  The human mind is what drives these fears.

This is very relatable to human kind because we humans fear nearly everything; nature, war, heights. . . even other humans.  Fear is a very dominating and controlling factor in our lives; from what we eat, how we dress, where we go, etc.  To be honest, i don't really know whether i deal with my fear, so much as i simply ignore it.  Not that i'm not afraid, but i try not to dwell on it more than necessary.

I can easily relate to Ikemefuna.  I've never really been away from my family for more than a couple of days, and even then, i knew i could just call or text them.  Ikemefuna probably still clings to the hope that he might see them again.  Its far worse knowing that you'll never see them again.  Its like a nightmare that you can never wake up from.

Live Life Or Lack There Of

On the topic of my internet life, I'd say its pretty much nonexistent.  The extent of it is my e-mail and this blog.  I don't have Facebook, Twitter, or anything else.  Personally, i rather dislike the fact that people i don't even know can just go on the internet and see what i'm doing, who my friends are, etc.

Thats probably one of the main reasons i don't care for any of those sites.  I feel that its rather creepy to have people you don't know comment on posts you make.  I also believe its ethically wrong because everybody can know what you're doing and you can't do much about it.  Thats why i refuse to be a part of any of these social networking sites.

Another reason i dislike these sites is that people post every little detail, and honestly, does anyone even care?  Theres also the fact that people focus so much on the internet that they don't have a life outside of it.  I'd have to say that in comparison to the actual world, the internets rather dull.

Epic Hero: Beowulf

I believe a hero is someone who is brave, does whats right, and has a strong moral code.  Once they have set out to complete a mission, they don't waver in the face of danger and aren't cowed by opposition.  Back in ancient times, whether Norse, Greek, or Roman, a hero would most certainly have been a warrior and that idea still holds true today.  You don't have to be a warrior to be a hero, though.

An example of a hero would be Martin Luther King Jr., or various other political figures who advocate for peoples political and civil rights.  This shows a major change in the viewpoint of what it is to be a hero.  Basically, despite what everyone thinks, a hero is simply someone who stands up for what's right, no matter what.