"Two days ago they brough in my neighbor's son- with both arms cut off by the machine'.
"Rafael?"(Lorca 12).
The name "Rafael" is represents God's healer in the Bible. For BW to state that G"od's healer is hurt, and cannot function correctly highlights the church's inability to help and morally heal people.
"Sleep, my child, and dream about the giant horse who didn't want the water" (Lorca 17)
This quote is a reference to Freud's theory of the subconscious.
"You know my fiancee's a good girl" (Lorca 10)
The idea of being defined as "good" highlights the church's morals.
"My mother came from a place where there were many trees, from a fertile land" (Lorca 39).
"Fate" (Lorca 39)
The idea of "fate" comes from Greek theater and Greek ideas.
"It never cools off around here, not even at dawn!" (Lorca 39)
A reference to Lorca's homeland that was dry, rocky, and very hot.
"(This entire scene is violent, filled with great sensuality)" (Lorca 92).
This side note highlights Freud's concept of the Id. The Id is responsible for people's desire for sex and aggression.
"(The MOON is a young woodbutter in whiteface" (81).
The idea of the moon being an actual character brings in the idea of surrealism, and breaks the fourth wall.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Lorca Journal 5
Themes:
Death
Fate
Dreams
Desires vs. Society's expectations
Marriage
A wife's role
What makes something "good".
Passion
1. The symbolism of the woodcutter, beggar woman and moon.
The beggar woman symbolizes death. She is described as a "great bird" and a "beggar woman" , meaning she is powerful yet unnoticed. People try not to pay attention the beggars on the street, they try to avoid contact with the beggars as much as possible, just like death: people try to avoid death. The moon symbolizes time and stillness. The moon appears during the night time, when people sleep, and when people are resting from a constantly moving passion. Also, if morning represents a new beginning, then the night time represents an ending.
2. What happens when the runaway couple are caught?
The Bride and Leonardo are eventually caught by the Bridesgroom. Simultaneously, the Bridesgroom and Leonardo stab eachother in the chest, forshadowed by the Mother in Act I.
3. What happens to the Mother after the death of her son?
The Mother blames the Bride for the cause of the Bridegroom and Leonardo's death.
4. At least three significant lines of imagery
"Two men killed each other over love. With a knife, with a little knife. That scarcely fits the hand, but penetrates precisely through the astonished flesh" (Lorca 104).
"Over the golden flowe, They bring the dead from the stream" (Lorca 99)
"Hour of blood" (Lorca 77).
"What of it? Better to be dead with no blodd than alive with it festering." (Lorca 79)
"I hear the crickets, the frogs, the ambush of the night" (Lorca 79)
5. What elements of a tragedy does Lorca incorporate in Blood Wedding?
Death
Fate
Dreams
Desires vs. Society's expectations
Marriage
A wife's role
What makes something "good".
Passion
1. The symbolism of the woodcutter, beggar woman and moon.
The beggar woman symbolizes death. She is described as a "great bird" and a "beggar woman" , meaning she is powerful yet unnoticed. People try not to pay attention the beggars on the street, they try to avoid contact with the beggars as much as possible, just like death: people try to avoid death. The moon symbolizes time and stillness. The moon appears during the night time, when people sleep, and when people are resting from a constantly moving passion. Also, if morning represents a new beginning, then the night time represents an ending.
2. What happens when the runaway couple are caught?
The Bride and Leonardo are eventually caught by the Bridesgroom. Simultaneously, the Bridesgroom and Leonardo stab eachother in the chest, forshadowed by the Mother in Act I.
3. What happens to the Mother after the death of her son?
The Mother blames the Bride for the cause of the Bridegroom and Leonardo's death.
4. At least three significant lines of imagery
"Two men killed each other over love. With a knife, with a little knife. That scarcely fits the hand, but penetrates precisely through the astonished flesh" (Lorca 104).
"Over the golden flowe, They bring the dead from the stream" (Lorca 99)
"Hour of blood" (Lorca 77).
"What of it? Better to be dead with no blodd than alive with it festering." (Lorca 79)
"I hear the crickets, the frogs, the ambush of the night" (Lorca 79)
5. What elements of a tragedy does Lorca incorporate in Blood Wedding?
Lorca Journal 4
1. Which characters appear to be miserable in the play and why? When and how do the characters express their misery? What do the characters desire and what stops them from going after what each desires?
One of the characters with an obvious misery is the Bride. The Bride is caught between her desire to stay with Leonardo, despite his lack of wealth, or marry the rich Bridegroom to preserve the family status. The Bride's desire to be with Leonardo creates a conflict with what her family wants; to maintain a high family status. Unfortunetly, the Bride feels obligated to go along with the marriage of the Bridesgroom because of the pressure and responsibility she felt. "They are dark clouds-an ill wind inside me. Who hasn't felt that?" (Lorca 41).
Another character who found himself in misery is Leonardo. Leonardo's misery oriented around morals, and the situation the Bride was in. Leonardo and the Bride loved eachother, but Leonardo had a wife and children. To be the The Bride, Leonardo would have had to abandon his family, creating a conflict between his morals and his desires. Also, the difficult situation the Bride was in: trying to decide whether or not to follow her desire for Leonardo, also thickened the tension between his conflicting ideas.
The last character that is burdened with misery is the Mother. The mother had to deal with, not only the deaths of her husband and son, but also the idea of the Bridesgroom leaving for the marriage. Ever since the death of her husband and son, the Mother had a fear of being alone: "would you hide be under the vine leaves?" (Lorca 7). The Mother's misery comes from the inability to let go of the past and move on, she constantly holds onto the idea of death, and fears the possibility of being abandoned by her son.
One of the characters with an obvious misery is the Bride. The Bride is caught between her desire to stay with Leonardo, despite his lack of wealth, or marry the rich Bridegroom to preserve the family status. The Bride's desire to be with Leonardo creates a conflict with what her family wants; to maintain a high family status. Unfortunetly, the Bride feels obligated to go along with the marriage of the Bridesgroom because of the pressure and responsibility she felt. "They are dark clouds-an ill wind inside me. Who hasn't felt that?" (Lorca 41).
Another character who found himself in misery is Leonardo. Leonardo's misery oriented around morals, and the situation the Bride was in. Leonardo and the Bride loved eachother, but Leonardo had a wife and children. To be the The Bride, Leonardo would have had to abandon his family, creating a conflict between his morals and his desires. Also, the difficult situation the Bride was in: trying to decide whether or not to follow her desire for Leonardo, also thickened the tension between his conflicting ideas.
The last character that is burdened with misery is the Mother. The mother had to deal with, not only the deaths of her husband and son, but also the idea of the Bridesgroom leaving for the marriage. Ever since the death of her husband and son, the Mother had a fear of being alone: "would you hide be under the vine leaves?" (Lorca 7). The Mother's misery comes from the inability to let go of the past and move on, she constantly holds onto the idea of death, and fears the possibility of being abandoned by her son.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Lorca Journal 3
Comments:
"Sleep, my child and dream
About the giant horse
Who didn't want the water.
The water, deep and black,
In among the branches.
Arriving at the bridge,
The water stops and sings.
Who can say, my child,
What the water holds?
-With its flowing tail,
Along its verdant hall."
From the first line alone, the poem can be identified as a lullaby through the words "sleep" and "dream". The dream the lullaby consists of is about a giant horse rejecting deep black water. The description "giant" has many connotation: the horse is physically large, or powerful. The horse "didn't want the water" suggesting that the deep, black water was offered to the horse. The description of the water reveals that the water opaque: nothing can be seen below the water's surface, which suggests a potentially dangerous mystery. The fact that the water is not only on the branches, but also "arriving at the bridge" suggests that this danger is everywhere. But "the water stops and sings", which creates an uplifting view, contrasting against the water's previous descriptions. "Who can say, my child, what the water holds?" The unexpectancy of the danger that surrounds the horse enables the horse of knowing what is going to happen. I believe the giant horse within this lullaby is the child who is dreaming.
- I agree with the difficulty of writing a pastiche with Anouilh's style of writing. It is hard to minipulate words when the words are short, rather than detailed. I agree that Ibsen's style was less challenging than Anouilhs's style, due to TWD's flow and serious tone.
- I agree to Cassie's statement. The stereotypes of the Bridesgroom and the Bride seemed oriented around their gender: the Bridesgroom appeared masculine and determined, while the Bride appeared femine, quite, hard working, and liked to sew. Do you think Lorca rejects or likes the stereotype of the Bridesgroom and the Bride?
"Sleep, my child and dream
About the giant horse
Who didn't want the water.
The water, deep and black,
In among the branches.
Arriving at the bridge,
The water stops and sings.
Who can say, my child,
What the water holds?
-With its flowing tail,
Along its verdant hall."
From the first line alone, the poem can be identified as a lullaby through the words "sleep" and "dream". The dream the lullaby consists of is about a giant horse rejecting deep black water. The description "giant" has many connotation: the horse is physically large, or powerful. The horse "didn't want the water" suggesting that the deep, black water was offered to the horse. The description of the water reveals that the water opaque: nothing can be seen below the water's surface, which suggests a potentially dangerous mystery. The fact that the water is not only on the branches, but also "arriving at the bridge" suggests that this danger is everywhere. But "the water stops and sings", which creates an uplifting view, contrasting against the water's previous descriptions. "Who can say, my child, what the water holds?" The unexpectancy of the danger that surrounds the horse enables the horse of knowing what is going to happen. I believe the giant horse within this lullaby is the child who is dreaming.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Lorca Journal 2
List of symbols:
Knife
Flower
Olive Groves
Serpent
Vineyard
Blood
Blood Wedding
Thistles
Horse that does not want water
A silver dagger
Dead river
Horse of Dawn
Mare
Archetypes:
Mother- Overprotective of the family especially her son. Wants the best for him.
Bridesgroom- Masculine. Loving. Determined.
The Bride- Femine. Takes over the stereotype of a women. Quiet. Obeys.
Father- Proud.
Neighbor- Friend. Gives advice. Helpful.
The Maid- Pushy. Sarcastic.
Knife
Flower
Olive Groves
Serpent
Vineyard
Blood
Blood Wedding
Thistles
Horse that does not want water
A silver dagger
Dead river
Horse of Dawn
Mare
Archetypes:
Mother- Overprotective of the family especially her son. Wants the best for him.
Bridesgroom- Masculine. Loving. Determined.
The Bride- Femine. Takes over the stereotype of a women. Quiet. Obeys.
Father- Proud.
Neighbor- Friend. Gives advice. Helpful.
The Maid- Pushy. Sarcastic.
Lorca Journal 1
Anouilh:
That enormous striking shadow standing by the elves, evaluating the production of gifts, guiding everthing, is Santa Clause. He is excited. He is excited for the completion of all the gifts, after the elves explain to him what's what, and where's where in the workshop, he will burst forth as the humble, lively, jolly man whose popularity would never decrease and who is about to rise up alone to deliver the joy and excitement that Christmas promises.
Ibsen:
"A lucky fellow" you call me. Oh, no simple phrase can explain the luck a man can feel when he's deep in happiness and love- especially a man of my fiery passion.
The plays of Antigone and The Wild Duck strike me as similar- a character dies- but also very different in the way the authors arranged the plot. The chronological order of Antigone is scattered to deinfisize the plot to focus more on the characters, and their reactions. To figure out the order of events, the reader is told exactly what happened, but at different parts of the book. On the other hand, The Wild Duck's chronological order of events is given through small pieces of information through different perspectives. This information is not proven, and is counteracted with other views on the matter. Also, in Antigone, Anouilh uses a sardonic, or mocking tone throughout the play, while in The Wild Duck, Ibsen's tone is more serious.
That enormous striking shadow standing by the elves, evaluating the production of gifts, guiding everthing, is Santa Clause. He is excited. He is excited for the completion of all the gifts, after the elves explain to him what's what, and where's where in the workshop, he will burst forth as the humble, lively, jolly man whose popularity would never decrease and who is about to rise up alone to deliver the joy and excitement that Christmas promises.
Ibsen:
"A lucky fellow" you call me. Oh, no simple phrase can explain the luck a man can feel when he's deep in happiness and love- especially a man of my fiery passion.
The plays of Antigone and The Wild Duck strike me as similar- a character dies- but also very different in the way the authors arranged the plot. The chronological order of Antigone is scattered to deinfisize the plot to focus more on the characters, and their reactions. To figure out the order of events, the reader is told exactly what happened, but at different parts of the book. On the other hand, The Wild Duck's chronological order of events is given through small pieces of information through different perspectives. This information is not proven, and is counteracted with other views on the matter. Also, in Antigone, Anouilh uses a sardonic, or mocking tone throughout the play, while in The Wild Duck, Ibsen's tone is more serious.
Monday, December 12, 2011
TWD Journal 4
Gina:
I believe Gina is the source of the problem. Arguments between Gina and Hjalmar began to arise because of all the information she did not tell him during their marrage. She had a child without knowing exactly who the father was, and she had a relationship with a man who is now funding the house Gina and Hjalmar live in. Gina believed she was protecting Hjalmar by keeping all this information a secret. Hjalmar's life revolved around a facade that he created to make himself look wealthier than who he really is. The only thing that Hjalmar didn't turn into a facade was his family. His family meant more to him than any materialistic ideal. Gina wanted to preserve Hjalmar's belief in the family, she did not want him to deplete his already decreasing self asteem. Hjalmar used to be suicidal, and by Gina keeping the truth about Hedvig, she was keeping Hjalmar in a happier state.
Gregers:
Gregers was not the source of the problem, but he amplified the problem. Hjalmar and Gina's household may have been a facade created by Gina, but they seemed happy together. But Greger's had this vision of an "ideal marriage" and knew the truth that Gina was hiding. Gregers wanted Hjalmar and Gina to have a pure marriage, and in order to reach the pure state, Gregers made it his "life's purpose" to reveal the truth and make things right. In order to do so, Gregers began unraveling what Gina hid her whole marriage. The truth came out, accompanied by many arguments accusing eachother of one after the other. Gregers may not have been the source for the problem, but he revealed it, causing the family facade to diminish.
I believe Gina is the source of the problem. Arguments between Gina and Hjalmar began to arise because of all the information she did not tell him during their marrage. She had a child without knowing exactly who the father was, and she had a relationship with a man who is now funding the house Gina and Hjalmar live in. Gina believed she was protecting Hjalmar by keeping all this information a secret. Hjalmar's life revolved around a facade that he created to make himself look wealthier than who he really is. The only thing that Hjalmar didn't turn into a facade was his family. His family meant more to him than any materialistic ideal. Gina wanted to preserve Hjalmar's belief in the family, she did not want him to deplete his already decreasing self asteem. Hjalmar used to be suicidal, and by Gina keeping the truth about Hedvig, she was keeping Hjalmar in a happier state.
Gregers:
Gregers was not the source of the problem, but he amplified the problem. Hjalmar and Gina's household may have been a facade created by Gina, but they seemed happy together. But Greger's had this vision of an "ideal marriage" and knew the truth that Gina was hiding. Gregers wanted Hjalmar and Gina to have a pure marriage, and in order to reach the pure state, Gregers made it his "life's purpose" to reveal the truth and make things right. In order to do so, Gregers began unraveling what Gina hid her whole marriage. The truth came out, accompanied by many arguments accusing eachother of one after the other. Gregers may not have been the source for the problem, but he revealed it, causing the family facade to diminish.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)