Twilight: Fire and Powder

"These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss, consume." Although, this quote is first mentioned in New Moon--the second book of the series--, I believe it can apply to all the books in the Twilight saga. But, what does a quote from Shakespeare have to do with Vampires and Werewolves? Let's first explain what it means in Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Friar Lawrence are waiting for Juliet to arrive. Friar Lawrence wisely advises Romeo to love moderately because if his loves becomes too intense it might fractures or perhaps blow up and destroy their relationship.
In Twilight, Edward is vampire who cannot resist Bella, a human, and her blood. It's like his own "brand of heroin", constantly calling him to Bella. Well that sounds like fire clashing into powder. It's dangerous. Perhaps, Stephanie Meyer chose to include this quote to foreshadow Bella and Edward's romance and a potential heartbreak. Their relationship is forbidden by Edward's family purely because a vampire cannot fall in love with a human. As Edward put it "the lamb fell in love with the lion." It doesn't work unless one person is inflicted pain (like the lamb). However, aren't fire and powder meant to be together? When fire and powder mix, they combust into a delightful array of lights, like fireworks. Edward and Bella's romance is disastrous yet profoundly beautiful. It's rare.

Othello Act I Scene II: Cyprus

The Duke is meeting with his senators about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. One of the senators suggests that the Turks have changed their course to throw off the Venetians. This proves to be true, as a messenger informs them that the Turks are heading towards Cyprus.
Iago arrives with Othello and warns him that Brabanzio will force a divorce between Othello and Desdemona. Cassio and other officers bring Othello a message that he is wanted by the duke of Venice about a matter concerning Cyprus. Brabanzio and his men arrive to attack and subdue Othello. However, Othello calmly and authoritatively tells the men to put down their swords. The Duke is eager to hear Othello's side of the story. Othello explains how Brabantio would invite him over to his house, where he would share stories of his adventurous yet, rough past. That is how Desdemona fell in love with him. From hearing this, the Duke disregards what Brabantio has said. Then Desdemona enters and claims she chose to marry Othello. No one forced her to. It was out of her own free-will. The Duke decides that Othello must go to Cyprus to attack the Turks. Othello takes Desdemona with him. Iago and Roderigo are left alone. Roderigo believes he has no chance with Desdemona. Iago tells him he should "put but money in thy purse" instead of wasting his energy on Desdemona. Iago delivers his first soliloquy, where he admits that he hates Othello because he suspects that he might've slept with his wife. Throughout the first two scenes, Othello is always referred to as "the moor", "thick-lips", "a Barbary horse", and even "the devil." There is a lack of respect for Africans even though, Othello is an important authoritative figure.

Othello Act I Scene I: Visages

The play begins with Roderigo and Iago having a conversation about Othello. Roderigo has just learned that Othello is married to Desdemona. Iago wants to be Othello's lieutenant but was replaced by Cassio. Iago reassures Roderigo that he hates Othello because Othello has chosen Michael Cassio, a man with no experience on the battlefield, to be his lieutenant. In the meantime, Iago only pretends to serve Othello until he is given the opportunity to promote his own self-interest. The two men confront Brabanzio, Desdemona's father, and tell him his daughter has ran off with Othello. At first, he does not believe the men because he has already told Roderigo to stay away from his daughter. However, Iago convinces him by telling him that Desdemona and Othello are having sex. Once Barbanzio is convinced, Iago leaves Roderigo alone and goes to attend on Othello. Brabanzio leaves his house furious, knowing that his daughter is not there and states that she is being charmed by magic. From the beginning of the scene, Iago expressed how negative he is. As the audience, you are suppose to view Iago as the villain. In the first scene he has already caused conflict between Brabanzio and Othello. He puts on a mask on whenever he is around Othello. He is only pretending to serve Othello for his own personal benefit. Othello is not mentioned by him name. He is referred to as "the moor", "thick-lips", and "the barbary horse"--all names that signify that he is dark-skinned. That fact that Iago paints himself as the villain allows the audience to immediately sympathize with Othello.

The Kissing Booth

The Kissing Booth written by McCall Minor is about Elle (Joey King) and her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney) who were both born on the same day. Elle and Lee created a list of rules that they must follow to keep their friendship stable. The 3 most popular rules used is Rule #2 "Secrets stay secrets", Rule #9 "Older brother is off limits", and Rule #10 "Never break rule #9." As the film continues Elle begins to develop feelings for Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi), Lee's older brother. Eventually, Elle and Lee start dating and hide their relationship from Lee. Elle breaks rules 9 and 10 to pursue her forbidden relationship with Flynn.  

As a hopeless romantic I found this film to be filled with lots of lovey-dovey moments and warm moments as well. However, the film was somewhat predictable and followed the same storyline as any other romance/teen drama would. Characters establish boundaries, one character breaks the boundary because of love, it's turned into a forbidden love, characters must hide their relationship, and so on and so forth. The book was turned into a film and is now streaming on Netflix. The Kissing Booth received a 13% in Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.3/10 in IMDb. Reviews about the film and the book are overall positive: "The Kissing Booth is negligible. It is fascinating" (IMDb) and "Romance fans will swoon" (Common Sense Media). Overall, The Kissing Booth was a great film and I recommend it to anyone.

What Makes Us Human?

The Big Old Question: What Makes Us Human?

We have been pondering the topic for many years. As my AP Literature class was reading Heart of Darkness in class, we discussed qualities that make us human. My group came up with 5 qualities. Here are 5 qualities that distinguish us from any other species:

1. Language and speech.
Thousands of years ago, humans diverged from an early species of ape and have evolved to the species we are now. Our mouths are significantly smaller. The tongue became more flexible, allowing us to speak more precisely. Furthermore, we are capable to learn and speak different languages. 

2. Empathy.
Empathy is the ability to step in someone else's shoe. To understand how they are feeling. When we experience real empathy, we let our ego stand down and we merge with another person. By merge I mean you let your boundaries melt away. The presence of empathy heals conflict with the law, different ethnicities, or in a school setting. 

3. Morals and Ethics.
Humans negotiate conduct through socially created values and codes of conduct. We select behaviors to minimize conflict and strengthen social ties among others. It is where we ask ourselves what is wrong and what is right. Everyone's moral compass points in a different direction. Humans are able to reflect on and judge ours or other's behavior.
4. Self Awareness.
When we focus our attention on ourselves, we evaluate and compare our current behavior to our morals and values. It allows us to evaluate ourselves in order to know our limitations and make choices based on our capabilities.

5. Laws and Authority.
Humans appointed authoritative figures to give society a sense of security and balance. However, social norms and our society pressure us to conform and follow regulations and laws. Animals do not pressure each other to follow a certain authority.  

Lies and Darkness

The ending of Heart of Darkness finished with Marlow visiting the intended and lying to her. Kurtz's intended asked Marlow what Kurtz's last words were. Marlow lied to her saying Kurtz's last words were her name. Marlow's motives as to why he lied to her are unknown. However, we can assume he did it to shield her from the horrid thing he did say: "the horror, the horror." Furthermore, he lied to the intended to preserve her image of Kurtz as someone good; a figure of light, not darkness. This could imply that the Congo is a source of darkness, and once in Britain, there is a source of light. Although, lying can be viewed as something dark. Therefore, instead of leaving the darkness, he brought it with him. Is the point of the story to make us realize that there is no way to escape the darkness in Europe or in Africa?

Well we don't know for certain. Conrad is intentionally vague and ambiguous. There is no black and white. There is only grey. Multiple shades of grey. The ending isn't suppose to give us an answer. Conrad's writing is meant to be interpreted outside the text, not what's inside. Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness to share his experience in the Congo, and at the same time, to expose the hidden mysteries that lay underneath the human soul.