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Memories and Primary School

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Duffy and Primary School Hey y’all. Our literature class recently finished the play No Exit and we are moving on to poetry by Carol Ann Duffy. One recurring theme in Duffy’s literature is the universal experience of progressing through childhood. After reading the poems “In Mrs Tilscher’s Class” and “Originally”, we began discussing memories from our childhood. As I searched through my memories of primary school a few memories stood out to me. One of which was when I was a Second grader in California. Our class was given a short assignment to draw a picture of what we wanted to work as when we grew older. I decided I wanted to run a factory, so I drew a building with a chimney, a few windows, and just to be a little imaginative I added the sounds coming out of the factory. Unfortunately, little Amir wasn’t entirely sure of how to spell the onomatopoeic sounds of a factory. I had seen the word “bomb” before and felt intelligent for knowing that the last ‘b’ was silent. Therefore, it mus
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Going to hell to meet oneself

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Going to hell to meet oneself For most readers, the idea of hell is likely in unison with Dante’s depiction of the seventh circle of hell in his epic poem the inferno . Where the rivers flow with boiling blood and fire, and ghastly beasts act as torturers to those who have committed sin. However, a rather contrary conjecture of hell is proposed by the renowned existential philosopher and playwright Jean-Paul Satre. In the play no exit , Satre portrays a version of hell that is rather mundane. No demonic beasts. No burning pit of cadavers. No eternal darkness. Just three damned people in a tastefully furnished room. At first, this version of hell seems quite lenient, but as Garcin reveals “There’s no need for red-hot pokers. Hell is other people.”. In this short essay, I will delve into Satre’s portrayal of hell in the form of an unlikely torturer: ourselves. In No Exit , aside from the odd paperknife attempted suicide, torture is not present in the form of physical pain, bu
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Superstition in Colombia

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For today’s blog post I will be exploring superstition and ritual in Colombian culture. Presently, our class is analyzing the novella “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” by the legendary Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. The novella is set in a small Colombian town called Sucre. In this town, superstition and ritual hold a meaningful role in the life of its inhabitants. The cultural diversity of African slaves, Spanish con querors, Arabic immigrants, and indigenous tribe makes Colombia home to a vibrant culture of myths, legends, and superstition. Let’s look at some examples of these superstitions.  Among the most common superstitions in Colombia is “the curse of the black butterfly”. This superstition states that if a large butterfly that is either black or brown enters one’s home, then a family member will soon pass away. In Colombia this butterfly is called the “Mariposa Negra”; however, the scientific name for the butterfly is “Ascalapha Odorata”. Although i
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Kafka's Sexuality

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Franz Kafka and Sexuality Franz Kafka’s sexuality has been a controversial topic for decades. Despite having a powerful sex drive, Kafka rarely engaged in sexual conduct with women. As a result, some have speculated that Kafka was repressing his homosexuality or asexual. Others have claimed that Kafka was terrified of STD’s and pregnancies. Kafka’s constant fear prevented him from engaging in the sexual activity that he desired. Although these claims may not be entirely true, the notion that Kafka repressed his sexuality is justified. Max Brod, Kafka’s close friend, once said that Kafka was “tortured” by his sexual desire. This “torture” as a result of his repressed sexuality can be observed in parts of Kafka’s literature like in “The Metamorphosis”. In the Metamorphosis, Gregor’s sexuality is symbolized in the painting of the woman in fur. Gregor’s physical and psychological attachment to this painting is indicative of Kafka’s own obsession struggle with his sexual desires. Gregor
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Self-Actualization in Frankenstein

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Self-Actualization: . "The psychological process aimed at maximizing the use of a person’s abilities and resources. This process may vary from one person to another” (Couture et al., 2007). Both Victor Frankenstein and his creation exhibit forms of self-actualisation. Moreover, they both fail to exhibit other forms of self-actualisation. Firstly, Frankenstein expresses his curiosity and pursuit of knowledge, thus we can view that he understands his social and intellectual potential, "The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine". He is creative and desires to use his innovation to transform society, “I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” Victor at the beginning of the novel already has love, safety, basic needs and esteem in his life, therefore he is able to pursue his desire to innovate and problem solve. Nonetheless, it is noticeable that Victor Frankenstein is immoral. This
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Frankenweenie

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Welcome back readers of my literature blog! It has been a long time since I last posted (almost a month), and our class has begun the analysis of the book “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly. Accordingly, in this post, I will be focusing on Frankenstein. However, there is a fun twist. Rather than analysing the book, I will be analysing Tim Burton’s movie “Frankenweenie (2012)”, documenting key plot moments that reveal the monstrous side of Victor’s creation and examining the motives behind Victor’s decision to create the “Monster Dog”. Unlike the novel, the target audience of Frakenweenie was a younger audience. As such, the purpose of the movie—despite the macabre art-style—was not to frighten the audience, but rather to portray an interesting prose. In my brief introduction, I said that I would document key plot moments that reveal the monstrous side of Victor’s creation; however, in the movie, Victor’s creation wasn’t exactly monstrous. One of the major turning points of the p
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Victorian Values and Oscar Wilde

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  The 19th Century is known by historians as the Victorian era. Named after the noble Queen Victoria who reigned between June 20, 1837, and January 22, 1901, the Victorian era was notable for its strong morals and values. Oscar Wilde, on the other hand, certainly was not.     During the 19th century, social rules were both strict and followed intently by the majority of people. This was especially prevalent among the high class and upper middle class. Some defining Victorian values are related to sexual propriety, hard work, honesty, and the duty and responsibility for the lower class. These strong moral values lead to progressive outcomes like the abolishment of slavery, movements against injustice, and a strong opposition to greed. However, in the high classes, along with these virtues came an obsession with manners and etiquette. Their daily lives were often dictated by what was seen as socially acceptable. From their clothing to the way they entered a room, the intricacies of e
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