- Our Quester: Ines Suares, a Spanish native happily married to her lover, Juan de Málaga. Born to a poor family in the sixteenth century, she becomes a seamstress, condemned to a life of hard work without any lucrative prospects for the future.
- A Place To Go: Ines' husband goes off to concur the new world, promising to return with riches and glory, leaving Ines all alone. After he fails to return, the protagonist uses her husband's apparent disappearance as a means to secure a charter and go off on her own adventure to Peru, in search of her runaway spouse.
- A Stated Reason to Go There: Although Ines uses her husband to facilitate her voyage across the sea, she is not truly in search of her love. Ines is very disillusioned by Juan after seeing his fickle nature and lack of loyalty. Instead of living out her life alone, never knowing if she is a widow or simply and abandoned bride, she departs on her journey in search of closure.
- Challenges and trials: As one of the few Spanish women to make the journey to the foreign world, the courageous heroin faced many dangerous challenges. Ines' travel companion and niece quickly runs off with a handsome sailor, leaving her alone yet again. Lusty conquistadors hungering for any resemblance of a woman surround her and she is constantly plagued with the well known new world challenges of disease, hunger and combative natives.
- The Real Reason to Go: Ines becomes the lover of Pedro de Valdivia, an accomplished soldier and aides him, sward in hand, in defending the settlement of Santiago, Chile. By embarking on this treacherous voyage Ines single handedly transformed her life as a poor tired seamstress into the revered lady of Santiago, succeeding where many men have failed. The journey of Ines Suares showed her the extant of her own courage and self worth.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
HTPLLAP: Chapter 1- Every Trip Is a Quest
Growing up in a household full of feminists constantly forcing my much older male cousin's to let me play football with them, even though I never wanted to, honestly put me off any books about women empowerment and the importance of female heroins. Do not get me wrong, I'm all for woman's rights and equality, but I simply do not search for these books in my local book store. Finally one summer day I was faced with a five hour long car ride and I gave in. Out of pure desperation, I begrudgingly picked up the book my aunt dropped into my lap about one of the few Spanish female conquistadors, Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allendre. To my dismay, the path of the heroin, Ines Suares, fascinated me and is a perfect example of a literary quest.
Friday, August 6, 2010
A Movie for Teenagers?
As I walked into the movie theater with three teenage boys, I mentally prepared myself to spend two hours watching car chases, explosions and cleavage. To my surprise they all wanted to see Shrek 4. So there I was with my 3D glasses on seriously questioning my choice of friends, when I realized we were not the only people over eleven in the theater. Half way through the movie I understood why. Shrek 4 was actually funny and not the wow this is so stupid I'm going to laugh at it funny, the my popcorn is in danger of being spilt funny.
Disney Pixar has made Shrek the type of film that can be enjoyed by children from ages two to eighty (My eighty-five year old grandfather saw the movie and was uncomfortable with the donkey dragon crossbreeding). There are very few movies with three sequels that are worth seeing, but Shrek 4 has done it.
The only thing that annoyed my about this film was, like a lot of new movies, Shrek 4 is in 3D. I might be the only one, But I hate 3D movies. I do not like paying five dollars more to see a blurry movie and leave with a headache. My whole life is in 3D, I can manage seeing two hours of it in 2D. On the plus side dorky glasses are always fun.
Never the less great movie. Well worth suffering through that extra dimension.
Disney Pixar has made Shrek the type of film that can be enjoyed by children from ages two to eighty (My eighty-five year old grandfather saw the movie and was uncomfortable with the donkey dragon crossbreeding). There are very few movies with three sequels that are worth seeing, but Shrek 4 has done it.
The only thing that annoyed my about this film was, like a lot of new movies, Shrek 4 is in 3D. I might be the only one, But I hate 3D movies. I do not like paying five dollars more to see a blurry movie and leave with a headache. My whole life is in 3D, I can manage seeing two hours of it in 2D. On the plus side dorky glasses are always fun.
Never the less great movie. Well worth suffering through that extra dimension.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Depressed Surfers
As I came across a time.com article entitled "Study: Obsessive Wed Surfers Are More Depressed", my first thought was, it seems like bad business practice for a website to tell people surfing the web will make them depressed. The author, Alice Park, explained that pathological Internet use is a way of "self-medicating or manifestation of the persons mental state." Is the fact that people who spend a large amount of their time on the Internet are more depressed, really surprising? Any teenager who has been stuck at home sick can testify, there is nothing more depressing then spending hours on Facebook when no one is online to talk to you.
The article also states that students reported to feel moody, nervous and uncomfortable away from the computer. It seems everyone has there drug. My sister is constantly texting on her cellphone. At this very moment my cousin is getting annoyed at me because my blogging is taking Internet speed away from his Xbox addiction. This informative piece once again shows that our generation is addicted to technology. The advice given to parents is to "monitor children's online activities," but in my opinion parents should take their kids to go get ice cream or make them join sports.
On a side note, in between every few paragraphs of this Time article there is a link to other article. The first was "25 websites you cant live with out," the second, "Facebook No-Nos," the third, "Best Social Networking Apps." This probably is not the safest article to read if you have an Internet surfing addiction yourself.
Click here to read the original article.
Stepping Back
After spending a whole day looking at modern art, I came to the realization that some art was not going to be understood by my measly seventeen years of life experience. I came across "Water-Lilies", a piece by Claude Monet, and just to please everyone who has ever tried to teach me about art, I stopped. That small pause to admire an artist solely because of what I had heard about the French founder of impressionist paintings, changed the way I think about beauty forever.
I stopped right in front of the painting to admire the skillful brush strokes and impressive use of color, but still did not really understand why this painting was so spectacular. Finally a friend told me, "Step back a bit." That simple sentence transformed the painting in my mind. The colors seamed to flow in harmony as easily as real water. The subtle flowers had an almost shy charm like a gorgeous little girl peeking out from behind her mothers legs, unsure if she is ready for the world to see her.
As I stood mesmerized by this truly remarkable piece of art, I realized how much of a fool I had been to try and look closely at the details of a painting and ignore its full glory. Just like a valley is only a view from its peaks not the base, just like loved ones seem so much more important when they are far away enough to miss, sometimes you have to "step back a bit" to see beauty.
I stopped right in front of the painting to admire the skillful brush strokes and impressive use of color, but still did not really understand why this painting was so spectacular. Finally a friend told me, "Step back a bit." That simple sentence transformed the painting in my mind. The colors seamed to flow in harmony as easily as real water. The subtle flowers had an almost shy charm like a gorgeous little girl peeking out from behind her mothers legs, unsure if she is ready for the world to see her.
As I stood mesmerized by this truly remarkable piece of art, I realized how much of a fool I had been to try and look closely at the details of a painting and ignore its full glory. Just like a valley is only a view from its peaks not the base, just like loved ones seem so much more important when they are far away enough to miss, sometimes you have to "step back a bit" to see beauty.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Of Mice and Men
Analysis of Detail
The first paragraph John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is carefully worded to depict what will happen in the story.
When Steinbeck writes,"the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green", "Green" there represents new, lively and strong. When one is lost in the woods they are told to find a "river" and fallow the running water to civilization. Lennie represents the "green", strong but naive. George is the "river", always guiding lost Lennie in the right direction.
When the "rocky Gabilan mountains" are described there is also a figurative meaning. "Rocky" means rough and unstable, but "mountains" are stable and wise. Lennie's mind is "rocky", but George is the "mountain" that keeps in stable.
The two men's lives are described as ,"under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp.""Leaves" are free and go where ever the wind takes them. "Trees" are old and strong, with long roots. The "leaves" are like Lennie and George's lives, always moving from place to place. The "tree" represents their friendship, strong and deep rooted.
Their journey is depicted as, "a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway." The "path beaten hard" is a tough road many have taken. The "deep pool" is the peaceful destination that is worth the journey. The hard lives Lennie and George live is represented by the "path beaten hard" and the "deep pool" is the farm they want to have.
Finally, "the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it" describes the relationship of the men and their future farm. The "limb" is sturdy and and supports leaves. The "men" rest on the tree and give it life. The "limb" represents the farm Lennie and George will have and the "men" are Lennie and George, who will make the farm thrive.
Analysis of Point of View
The third person point of view allows the reader to use his own emotions as opposed to only reading the emotions the author gives the characters.
The Narrator says, "Lennie's closed hand slowly obeyed. George tool the mouse." p6
"Slowly obeyed" conveys that Lennie is reluctant to give up the mouse, without the author actually writing out his feelings. Though at times Lennie is reluctant to do what George wants, he trusts George blindly.
"George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he was doing it right"p7 is another time where this is shown. By saying "Lennie imitated him" the narrator shows Lennie looks up to George. When Lennie needs guidance his guardian is there.
"Curley's shoulders dropped and squared "How long ago'd he go?""p54, gives the reader in site to Curley's mind. Curley's physical actions show he is worried about what his wife is doing even though we can not read his mind. Curley is adamantly looks for his wife because she is a "tart".
"He [Candy] lay back on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling"p47-48 displays emotions in a physical way as well. Though the narrator does not tell us that Candy is upset, the reader can tell by his actions. Candy is too proud to show his feeling to the other men.
Analysis of Tone
Sentimental and protective tone in Steinbeck's novel that reflect the price of letting a person into your heart and watching out for them.
""No-look! I was jus' foolin', lennie. 'Cause I want you to stay with me. trouble with mice is you always kill 'em." he paused. "Tell you what I'll do Lennie. First chance I get I'll give you a pup."" p13, shows George's softer side. Even if George gives Lennie a hard time, he still cares about Lennie and wants them to stay together, showing the value of their ralationship to george.
Seeing Lennie's devotion to George is much easier. "Suddenly Lennie's eyes centered and grew quiet, and mad. He stood up and walked dangerously toward Crooks, "Who hurt George?" he demanded." Lennie is much more open about is love is more protective of George, perhaps because he is dependent on George.
Analysis of Theme
The theme of Mice and Men is I am my brother's keeper. Often in life I feel like my sister's keeper. She is useless when it comes to it comes to picking out clothes or traveling and I am always there to help her. No matter how much my sister leans on me, I can not imagine supporting my sister as much as Lennie leans on George. Each time Lennie does something wrong George is there to cover it up.
"George stood up and thew the mouse as far as he could" p9 George Watches out for Lennie even when he does not like it because George knows whats best for Lennie. George's life would be much easier with out Lennie but he stays with him.
The first paragraph John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is carefully worded to depict what will happen in the story.
When Steinbeck writes,"the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green", "Green" there represents new, lively and strong. When one is lost in the woods they are told to find a "river" and fallow the running water to civilization. Lennie represents the "green", strong but naive. George is the "river", always guiding lost Lennie in the right direction.
When the "rocky Gabilan mountains" are described there is also a figurative meaning. "Rocky" means rough and unstable, but "mountains" are stable and wise. Lennie's mind is "rocky", but George is the "mountain" that keeps in stable.
The two men's lives are described as ,"under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp.""Leaves" are free and go where ever the wind takes them. "Trees" are old and strong, with long roots. The "leaves" are like Lennie and George's lives, always moving from place to place. The "tree" represents their friendship, strong and deep rooted.
Their journey is depicted as, "a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway." The "path beaten hard" is a tough road many have taken. The "deep pool" is the peaceful destination that is worth the journey. The hard lives Lennie and George live is represented by the "path beaten hard" and the "deep pool" is the farm they want to have.
Finally, "the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it" describes the relationship of the men and their future farm. The "limb" is sturdy and and supports leaves. The "men" rest on the tree and give it life. The "limb" represents the farm Lennie and George will have and the "men" are Lennie and George, who will make the farm thrive.
Analysis of Point of View
The third person point of view allows the reader to use his own emotions as opposed to only reading the emotions the author gives the characters.
The Narrator says, "Lennie's closed hand slowly obeyed. George tool the mouse." p6
"Slowly obeyed" conveys that Lennie is reluctant to give up the mouse, without the author actually writing out his feelings. Though at times Lennie is reluctant to do what George wants, he trusts George blindly.
"George lay back on the sand and crossed his hands under his head, and Lennie imitated him, raising his head to see whether he was doing it right"p7 is another time where this is shown. By saying "Lennie imitated him" the narrator shows Lennie looks up to George. When Lennie needs guidance his guardian is there.
"Curley's shoulders dropped and squared "How long ago'd he go?""p54, gives the reader in site to Curley's mind. Curley's physical actions show he is worried about what his wife is doing even though we can not read his mind. Curley is adamantly looks for his wife because she is a "tart".
"He [Candy] lay back on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling"p47-48 displays emotions in a physical way as well. Though the narrator does not tell us that Candy is upset, the reader can tell by his actions. Candy is too proud to show his feeling to the other men.
Analysis of Tone
Sentimental and protective tone in Steinbeck's novel that reflect the price of letting a person into your heart and watching out for them.
""No-look! I was jus' foolin', lennie. 'Cause I want you to stay with me. trouble with mice is you always kill 'em." he paused. "Tell you what I'll do Lennie. First chance I get I'll give you a pup."" p13, shows George's softer side. Even if George gives Lennie a hard time, he still cares about Lennie and wants them to stay together, showing the value of their ralationship to george.
Seeing Lennie's devotion to George is much easier. "Suddenly Lennie's eyes centered and grew quiet, and mad. He stood up and walked dangerously toward Crooks, "Who hurt George?" he demanded." Lennie is much more open about is love is more protective of George, perhaps because he is dependent on George.
Analysis of Theme
The theme of Mice and Men is I am my brother's keeper. Often in life I feel like my sister's keeper. She is useless when it comes to it comes to picking out clothes or traveling and I am always there to help her. No matter how much my sister leans on me, I can not imagine supporting my sister as much as Lennie leans on George. Each time Lennie does something wrong George is there to cover it up.
"George stood up and thew the mouse as far as he could" p9 George Watches out for Lennie even when he does not like it because George knows whats best for Lennie. George's life would be much easier with out Lennie but he stays with him.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother photos.
Dorothea Lange's photos are so breath taking, they can teach a person far more than any text book can. The shelter in this picture shows the extent a mother will go to for her children. These people truly show how important the bond of family is. By her wedding ring and her tireless car, it is evident that this mother did not always live such a impoverished life. It is remarkable how such a young woman, with so many dependent children can endure this type of depression. She could have left the children behind, but even on the brink of starvation she had the courage to march on.
The wedding ring in this picture also shows the strength of a family bond. The mother has lost everything they own, other than a single suitcase, yet the ring remains on her finger. The symbol of her marriage is the one thing she chooses over food and shelter. This shows no matter how unbearable life may get, family will always be there with you.
The wedding ring in this picture also shows the strength of a family bond. The mother has lost everything they own, other than a single suitcase, yet the ring remains on her finger. The symbol of her marriage is the one thing she chooses over food and shelter. This shows no matter how unbearable life may get, family will always be there with you.
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