To My Mother.. (part 1)

Recently I was asked to write about a project I enjoyed working on. Fortunately, I thought of a few projects. However, there was one project in particular that stood out the most. My junior year of high school, Mrs. Mahr had the class work on a Virtue's project. Students had a choice to present however they would like, as long as it followed the guidelines and was "memorable." Constituting a project on it being memorable was very difficult for me. I continuously asked myself who or what in my life is memorable. Ultimately, I collected my thoughts and decided to build my project based on my mother; after all, she is the one who has given me guidance in life.
Thus, I went to Michaels and bought a scrapbook, patterned paper, and 3-D stickers, hoping these materials would suffice as memorable. Assembling the scrapbook wasn't hard at all. The difficult part was filling those pages with words describing my mother, and how her virtues are now my own virtues. The following are the first 2 virtues from the scrapbook I made, titled "To My Mother.." Enjoy.

Key #1 Openness:

The quality of being willing to accept new ideas or people.

There are two bodies of water one visits in their lifetime. The first one, and most commonly visited, is a swimming pool. The second, is the ocean. These bodies of water are made up of the same substance. Yet, although sharing similarities, they are both extremely different. A pool is enclosed by concrete walls. It is explored only by those who are nearby and stays in one place; therefore, it is the opposite of openness. The ocean is the definition of openness. The ocean covers so much of the earth’s surface and has a variety of ethnicities plunge into its water. The ocean has seen much of the earth and is wise and strong. My mother is my ocean and has taught me how to accept anyone and their ideas. She has taught me how to keep my mind open and my heart available for new experiences, new ideas, new relationships. She has taught me how to work to move beyond the boundaries of the familiar and break down the walls of comfortability. With letting yourself be open, you let yourself be molded each and every time you let someone in. That’s why I thought keys were best to represent these 10 virtues because you need a key to open new doors and these “new doors” are my virtues. However, it may be risky so you must have courage.

Key #2 Courage:

Staying strong in the face of pain or grief.

Freshman year of High School my grandpa, or as I refer to him, my Papa, was diagnosed with cancer. For a long time my grandpa was in and out of hospitals. He couldn't walk and refused to eat his meals. Subsequently, he quickly became weak and fragile. My mother was in so much pain but through it all she had courage. My mother gave my grandpa strength to help him get through the chemotherapy. Her courage came in many forms. She would talk about her childhood;a time where my grandpa was strong and brave. He would remember the moments when he wasn’t afraid. Even though bringing up those memories made her remember when her father wasn’t ill, my grandpa would smile. My mother and my grandpa needed courage to overcome cancer. My grandpa’s cancer was like an open wound and my mother’s courage was his stitches to seal that open wound. Courage is what stitch your wounds together until your wound heals. It is what gives you strength to persevere. Courage helps you face your fears and keeps you moving forward.

An Admired Ghost Story

This week in my AP Literature class, we began to read Frankenstein. No it's not the tall, green, and dumb monster who eats people and scares the heck out of children. On the contrary, Frankenstein is a story about Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who is the creator of an unnamed, hideous, sapient creature. Mary Shelley, the author, wrote Frankenstein because of a nightmare she had one night, which then became a ghost story. She began writing the novel when she was 18 and published the it anonymously. Mary Shelley is recognized as a romantic writer. Romantics were seen as the "hippies" of their period. Romantics believed they were guided by their human passions, rather than science explained in the Age of Reason. These writers were a counterculture to the Age of Reason,
or The Enlightenment.

Mary Shelley's mother was a woman named Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary was a feminist and fought for woman's rights. She also was an advocate for woman's right to vote. Mary died giving birth to her daughter, Mary Shelley. Therefore, Shelley grew up with only her father. Her father's friends were extremely famous and intelligent. Shelley was always around them. One of her father's friends, Percy Bysshe Shelley married Mary. Later on he passed away. Shelley must have been inspired to write this novel due to there being constant deaths of loved ones in her life.

What Drives Me?

This past week, I  started an essay for the Jiffy Lube scholarship. The winner earns $3,500 and finalists earn $1,500. I've decided to make my essay into one of my blogs. So here is a rough draft of my essay for Jiffy Lube and the answer to the question: What drives me?

I am driven by my desire to change and better an individual through discovery and listening. Discovery and listening are two crucial components to help someone unravel their strengths and resilience. Becoming a clinical psychologist will allow me to specialize in physical health concerns and help patients to manage stress or chronic illnesses. Furthermore, clinical psychologist work with a numerous population that include veterans, athletes, and the elderly. I enjoy working with people and helping them overcome hardships. This past fall, I secured myself an internship at Renown. There, I am exposed to a variety of patients of different age groups, backgrounds, and health concerns. Interning at Renown has been a great experience and has ameliorated my desire to help those in need. I listen to patients’ concerns and communicate their needs with the registered nurses on the floor. I have discovered that a hospital is a fast-pacing environment that I am drawn to.

My desire to help others and better them began when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. His diagnosis took a toll on his mental state and physical state as well. Low mood and depression can constitute in a cancer patient. I witnessed such behavior and tried my best to help manage it. Seeing his behavior change and watch him grow into a stronger and more confident individual, increased my desire to help others.

For a rough draft, it's average. I still have quite a bit of time to revise and edit it. I thought by making my essay into a blog, I would be motivated to actually work on it. Well, I did add on to it. So far, there is some progress. 

Breaking Dawn Part 2: The Finale

Breaking Dawn part 2 is the finale to the Twilight saga. Bella survived, and is now a vampire. Her daughter, Renesme is born and is growing at an exponentially fast pace. Due to Bella giving birth, the Vultori see the child as a threat to all mankind and vampires. They believe Renesme is an immortal child because her parents are both vampires. However, Bella was human when she gave birth to Renesme. It was until after the birth, Bella became a vampire.
Edward and Bella gather vampires from all over the world to create an army that will fight against the Vultori. The group of vampires that joined their army have special abilities. A large amount of the abilities affect the mind. But there is one exception, Benjamin has the ability to control earth's four basic elements. It has been speculated that these gifts have been passed down genetically generation to generation.
Jacob imprinting on Renesme is also explained in this film. Imprinting is when a shape-shifter, or werewolf, is completely devoted to one person. Devotion can come in many forms. For example, being an older sibling or a protector to the imprinted. Imprinting creates a powerful bond between two people. It doesn't necessarily mean two people must have a romantic relationship. However, many spectators view imprinting as pedophilia, which can seem that way. Although, for Jacob and Renesme, imprinting is just a brother and sister relationship.
Towards the end, there is a throw down between the Cullens (and their army) and the Voluturi. In the fight scene, we see how vampires are killed. However, the entire fight scene turns out to be a vision from Alice. Alice, Edward's adopted sister, has the ability to see the future. Alice uses her ability to warn Aro, the leader of the Vultori, the deaths and disasters that will happen if they battle.
Although, Aro still worries that the child will cause destruction. It is until Renesme used her ability to show her side of the story, when Aro sees the child differently.

"Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!"

Human beings are convinced that trust and love can help overcome any hardship, however, lack of communication and manipulation leads to jealousy; an emotion that can consume an individual and a relationship. There are three characters in Othello that follow the theme of jealousy.

The first character is Iago. Iago fueled jealousy in Othello by implanting lies about Desdemona and Cassio having an affair. Iago plots his revenge to bring Othello crashing down. Iago is consumed by his own jealousy, believing his wife, Emilia, had an affair with Othello and is also upset about Cassio being lieutenant. In Act II, scene iii, Iago delivers a soliloquy where he informs the audience of his plan to plant Desdemona’s handkerchief in Cassio’s room, inflaming Othello’s jealousy.

The second character is Othello. Iago’s constant reminder of Desdemona’s infidelity causes Othello to be consumed by jealousy. He is unstable and aggressive and murders his wife at the end of the play. Othello hits his wife when she told him she has lost the handkerchief.

The final character is Desdemona. She blames herself for the actions of her husband. She believes that she is not contributing enough to her marriage, when in reality, her husband is to blame. She is used in Iago’s plan to make Othello jealous.

Shakespeare utilizes rhetorical devices in the theme of jealous. He demonstrates imagery and allusion. For example, Iago uses imagery to create a lucid picture that makes it hard to believe that anything is true. For example, in Act III, scene iii, Iago describes Cassio’s naughty dream about Desdemona to Othello. “In sleep I heard him say ‘Sweet Desdemona, Let us be wary, let us hide our loves.’” Iago framed Cassio to make it seem like he’s sleeping with Desdemona. This was all part of his plan to make Othello jealous.

An example of allusion is when Othello alludes to religious ideology found in the bible. For example, Othello makes an allusion to the bible Act IV, scene ii, when he states, “You, mistress, / That have the office opposite to Saint peter…” Here Othello is referring to Desdemona as the guardian of the gates of Hell. Othello is implying that Desdemona will go to Hell. At this point he believes Iago’s lies and sees Desdemona as a sinner.

Breaking Dawn Part 1: Renesme

Breaking Dawn is the final book and film in the Twilight franchise. In the films, the final book was divided into two parts. Therefore, I decided to write about it as two separate parts. At the beginning, Bella and Edward get married. The wedding goes smoothly until Jacob shows up unexpectedly. Jacob worries for Bella's safety when Bella tells Jacob that her and Edward will have a "normal honeymoon", implying that they will have sex. Jacob fears that Edward might hurt Bella unintentionally. As Jacob predicted, Edward leaves Bella with bruises and breaks the bed.

Towards the end of her honeymoon, Bella finds out that she is pregnant. She tells Edward and he is astonished, quickly gathering her items to fly back to Forks. There Edward and the rest of the Cullens discuss what to do with the baby without asking Bella for her opinions. In the end, Bella tells them it is her child and that she will keep her. Since the baby is half immortal, it develops at an alarming rate, not allowing Bella's body to adapt to the changes her body is going through fast enough. Throughout this process, Edward is not supporting Bella because he doesn't see the child as a baby but as monster that could potentially kill Bella. This is the first time in the saga that Bella is not dependent on anyone. In fact, she realizes that she must be selfless and ignore Edward's remarks, because her child is now dependent on her.

Before the child is even born, there are plenty of enemies out to kill the child. Jacob's pack sees the child as a threat and plan to kill the child. Jacob seems to shine in the book as he goes against the pack leader's wishes and backs the leader of the pack down. Therefore, Jacob chose to side with the vampires than his own blood. Once the child is born, Bella's light goes out and she dies. In an attempt to try to resuscitate her, Edward bites her to try to change her into a vampire. Jacob sees the baby and immediately imprints on her. He will become a protector, a brother, anyone she wants in the future. In the end, Bella's future is not certain but her baby, Renesme seems to be just fine.

Eclipse: Ripple Effect

Eclipse is the third installment to the Twilight Saga franchise. The third film explores a love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob. Bella is surrounded by danger as Seattle is hit by newborn vampires who are murdering citizens and an evil vampire who continues her request for revenge. Action was introduced to Eclipse in order to draw in a larger audience and make it less romantic. 

Even though I am a fan of the Twilight Saga, Eclipse is my least favorite film. Bella's indecisiveness causes a ripple effect. Bella loves Edward and Jacob, a werewolf and a vampire. Werewolves and vampires are natural enemies. They aren't meant to coexist with each other. They both have their differences. Bella fails to see the bigger picture. She is causing tension amongst the two, putting both parties in danger. 

Bella is also the reason why an army of newborn vampires are murdering the citizens of Seattle. In the first film, Edward kills Victoria's significant other because he tried killing Bella. Victoria, felling anger and showing no remorse, created an army of newborn vampires to go after Bella. As I mentioned before, ripple effect. 

Not only that, but the Volturi had to get involved as well. The Volturi are a civilized coven of vampires, the largest and most powerful in the series, and enforce the laws of the vampire world. It consists of 5 members, each with a unique power. The murders in Seattle became news and it became a focal point in the city. Therefore, The Volturi had to control the situation by murdering all newborn vampires. However, at the end of the film, Bella managed to unite vampires and werewolves to destroy the army of newborn vampires. I guess that's the only silver lining in the film. 

Major Symbols and Motifs in Othello

Symbols and motifs are central to understanding Othello as a play. Symbols is a thing that represents or stands for something else. A motif is any recurring element that has a symbolic significance in a story. Symbols and motifs are not the same thing.

1. Handkerchief.
The handkerchief is the main tool Iago uses to make Othello jealous. All the main characters of the play seem to be intertwined with the handkerchief. The handkerchief is an emblem of love for Othello and Desdemona's marriage. Emilia found the handkerchief and gave it to her husband to make him happy. However, she was unknowingly betraying Desdemona. Iago told Othello that Desdemona gave it away to Cassio, causing tension in their marriage.

2. Candle.
The candle blows out as soon as Othello murders his wife, Desdemona. This symbolizes him ending or extinguishing her life.

3. Animals.
Beginning in Act I Scene I, Iago introduces the animalistic imagery. According to Iago, there is something wild and bestial about Othello, as he refers to him as "the old black ram." Iago degrades and dehumanizes Othello, making him an easy target.

4. The Bed.
Othello and Desdemona's relationship is an extremely physical based relationship. Therefore, their relationship started with the bed. Desdemona and Othello ended up dead together on the bed with Emilia (also dead) in between them. Emilia has always been in between Othello and Desdemona's relationship. Overall, the couples relationship started and ended in a bed.

Major Themes in Othello

1. Love and Passion.
In Othello, love is seen in a matter of ways depending on the character. To Desdemona and Othello, love is an intense emotion filled with passion. However, their love soon comes to staggering end as they fail to see that first there must be trust in order to maintain their love. For Iago, love is leverage. He falsely professes his love to Roderigo and the other characters in the play to gain their trust.

2. Appearance and Reality.

For Othello, he wants visual proof of Desdemona cheating on him with Cassio. To him, seeing is believing. Iago shows Othello false proof, which actually works, making Othello's jealousy grow more rapidly. Despite Othello's love for Desdemona, he can't help but believe Iago's lies.

3. Jealousy.

Jealousy is what seems to diminish Othello and cause him to lose his sanity. Iago is the one who introduced this emotion to Othello. Iago noticed how he tends to be insecure and overreact. Othello loses his sense of reason and justice once he murders wife, Desdemona. Once he kills her, he snaps back to reality. He sees his life in a new perspective and begins to speak calmly and rationally. Then, he proceeds to killing himself.

4. Prejudice.

Since the beginning, the characters have referred to Othello as "the moor" and other racists names. There is a prominent racial prejudice in the Venetian society. Othello is not aware of how deeply prejudice has affected him. Othello is insecure and lacks self esteem because of how he is seen by others in society. He always seems to second guess himself about Desdemona's love for him: "It cannot be true that she really loves me."

New Moon: Isabella Swan's Depression

The second book of the Twilight saga has to be one of the darkest period in Bella's. Stephanie Meyer (the author of the Twilight Saga) describes the new moon facing away from the Earth and is completely dark. Bella Swan is the moon and the Earth is Edward, the person who she fell inexplicably in love with and the person who she is very dependent on to maintain her self-esteem high. Without him she is a black void. She is completely dark and empty. There is no one else who completes her. Without Edward life is meaningless. During a period of several months, Bella is in a depression. She avoids any social interactions, she destroyed all her CDs, and she is locked in her room.

In the book, Edward believes that Bella will always be in danger as long as she is around him. Therefore, he decides to leave Bella and save her from future pain. However, there is one flaw in Edward's plan. He doesn't acknowledge Bella's longing love for Edward. He is causing her more pain leaving rather than staying and potentially putting her in danger as he believes. Both Bella and Edward have low self-esteem. Edward believes he is fundamentally evil and there is no hope for redemption. Bella thinks she doesn't deserve anyone and questions why someone like Edward would ever lay their eyes on her. Although, there is a silver lining. Bella gives herself a chance to move forward by interacting with Jacob Black, the werewolf. As time goes by and Bella’s relationship with Jacob grew stronger, Edward became a lesson rather than a necessity in Bella’s life. The second book encouraged fans to side with Jacob. This is where Team Jacob and Team Edward began.

Vampires, Werewolves, and a Young Girl

Did I mention that this is a 5 part series? Well, I will be writing about the Twilight saga for the next week. I have already started my 5 part Twilight series last week in my last post. However, I never acknowledged why I chose to write about Twilight. This post will describe why Twilight is such a prevalent story in my life.

Twilight was the first book series I read and finished as a child. The series introduced me to an intense romance, mythical creatures, strength, and resilience. It was the first book series that I grew attached to and became a fan of. In 2008, when the first film came out, my love for the Twilight saga grew stronger and eventually every one of my friends were talking about it. It was Romeo and Juliet but with a twist.

The films portrayed a forbidden love but with vampires and werewolves. It was a young girls fantasy. A lot of young girl wanted the praise and attention that Bella received from two incredibly gorgeous males, Edward and Jacob. Although I am no longer a preteen, I still carry that love for the films and the books. Rereading the books and watching the films will always remind me of my childhood. A time where I didn’t stress about every small thing. A time where curiosity ran through me like a stream. Those films and books will forever be my escape from reality.