Getting into a bit of Mischief

There's something about the aged quality of this word that inspires a nostalgic "let kids be kids" sort of ideal for me. What interests me about the word, besides its sound and quirkiness, is its definition of letting kids make mistakes as they grow up. I like that it deliberately states in the myriad of definitions something along the lines of kids brewing trouble but not to the point in which it could make a situation serious or dangerous. It is mere tomfoolery and immaturity. At this point, the word inspires the child in me.

The Monsters: Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein

• the book documents the "conception" of monster-related literature, concentrating on the literary works of Dracula and Frankenstein 
• it documents the backgrounds and personal lives of the authors behind the books; the author strives to reconstruct the authors' lives surrounding the conception of said stories to highlight the "narrative of artistic creation and personal destruction"  
• one learns that Mary Shelley's life is surrounded by drama and tragedy, such as the eerie deaths of her parents and her fellow writers
• it beckons us to question how her creation of the story Frankenstein may have created a monster 
• finally, the book recognizes that some circumstances are coincidences, but many of the queer happenings echo key events in Frankenstein
• one can see this in how the creature cannot find a female counterpart, much like Mary found Percy, but he was married and had two children. also, many people around her die, such as the writing community that gathered at Lord Byron's house for the challenge and the sudden death of her parents after she was born. 

sources: Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein, http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Mary-Shelley-Curse-Frankenstein/dp/0316000787

The Villain's Construction: Dissecting the Similarities between Grendel and Voldemort

It is villains that make the best stories come alive. Most of society focuses on the great literary heroes in culture, praising them for standing up against evil and immorality. But what about the villain? Were they always evil? One must learn about the villain to ultimately understand the root of evil in great classics such as Beowulf and the Harry Potter Series. In both Beowulf and the Harry Potter books, the villains are constructed with a struggling family history, a dark outward appearance, and a final battle.

To begin with, each character struggles with a difficult, dark past.  It is imperative to know the villains’ histories, in order to understand their evil and dark nature. Voldemort was born to a family descendent of Salazar Slytherin, one of the darkest wizards according to the realm of wizarding. His ancestry defines his path of evil, because he inherits parseltungue and opens the Chamber of Secrets when he first comes to Hogwarts. It was this defining moment that made him realize he was a pure blooded wizard. Grendel’s past is not so clearly defined, but his mother is revealed in the tale of Beowulf. She fights Beowulf beside Grendel. Both villains are characterized by a dark past that haunts their future.

The way in which each villain fights has startling similarities. For example, in the Sorcerer’s Stone, when Voldemort uses Professor Quirrel’s body to find the Stone, he falls to ash when Harry touches him. In comparison, Grendel falls to the same fate, when Beowulf grabs hold of his arm. Both villains are significantly weakened to the point in which their spirit is nearly all that is left of them.  It is their soul that is their biggest enemy. Neither of them are strong enough to defeat the protagonist, yet they are consistent in their fighting. They each work extremely hard at resilience in their fighting. It seems like no matter how weak they are, their threat never dies down. Though their souls are weak, some dark magic keeps them alive in battle. However, even that is eventually compromised.

In addition, each character is constructed with dark attributes, as if their souls were non-existent. In Harry Potter, Voldemort uses Death Eater’s bodies as a safe haven for his soul, until he reaches full strength. In the Forbidden Forest, he appears as a floating figure in a black cloak. He uses unicorn blood and horcruxes to supplement the emptiness of his inner being. Similarly, Grendel is described a dark creature characterized by the torture and ruthlessness he has in battle. He ambushes villages by sneaking into them and killing the masses to inflict terror on the land.

In conclusion, their struggling family history, dark outward appearance, and final battle characterize both villains. The flaw they each share is their inability to be fully human. Their fragile-natured states prohibit them from becoming strong enough to conquer the protagonists, Harry and Beowulf. In the end, it is Voldemort’s horcruxes that ultimately lead to his failure. The villain ultimately shapes the classic stories of Beowulf and Harry Potter because without the villain, the protagonist would have nothing to fight for. 

Grammatical Gender Origins: Le Prof, La Proffeseur

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_gender

Grammatical Gender Fading out of the English Language

http://www.jstor.org/pss/4623439

Faith Vs. Logic

   It was in this book that I took refuge from the chaos of reality. Merely the title of the novel, The Life of Pi, stirs curiosity. The idea that one can mix the finite nature of life with the infinite nature of the number 3.146... presents a beautiful, intriguing paradox. Yann Martel makes a statement just in the title that this story will live forever, surviving through generations. He sheds his wisdom any chance he gets by crafting not just a tragic, lackluster bildungsroman but a biblical tale that bends the mind's framework of reality. The Life of Pi is a fantastical mélange of the absurd and the real, taking the form of a nuanced interpretation of Noah’s Ark. It beckons one to question whether one should rely on logic or faith to lead their journey through life.

     As one delves deeply into the many facets of the novel, it is apparent that religion is a guiding force in Piscine’s young life. Unique in nature, Piscine’s tale represents not just another tragic teen’s saga, but a life led by passion and zeal for not just religion, and “more than rite and ritual…[but] what the rite and ritual stand for” (Martel 48). Martel crafts him as a renaissance man that defies generational norms and society's mundane expectations for the youth. Amidst the controversy of his religious diversity in being a Christian, Hindu, and Muslim, he stays true to himself remarking, “it is my heart that commands me so” (Martel 48). His religion plays into his unflagging spirit throughout his voyage in the Pacific with a man-eating beast, the dangerous Richard Parker. While nearing towards starvation and dehydration, he clings to faith stating, “you get your happiness where you can…[it is like] reach[ing]…a point when you’re at the bottom of hell, yet…you feel you’re the luckiest person on earth” (Martel 217). It is his blind vulnerably in faith that makes his story both addicting and perilous.

     Another facet that Martel explores in the novel is atheism, or dismissal of faith and religion. In addressing this complex subject, he constructs two key characters in the beginning and the end of the novel; Mr. and Mrs. Patel introduce agnosticism into Piscine's life, then the Japanese Maritime officials, Mr. Chiba and Mr. Okamoto, represent staunch, unapologetic atheism in the end. It is these characters that fuel Piscine's interest in faith in an ultimate being over logic. For instance, after hearing the young boy's account of his voyage across the Pacific with Richard Parker, Mr. Chiba questions the plausability of the floating tree island that Pi described as carnivorous and filled with small rodents. In an effort to build his credibility, Mr. Chiba references his Uncle from Japan who studies unusual plants, stating that no such tree could exist--prattling on non-sensically about bizarre plants that he claims to have existed. With a witty response, Piscine replies, "whoever heard of such trees? They're botanically impossible...I believe [only] what I see" (Martel 295).  Paradoxically, Martel uses humor and mockery to highlight key argument flaws by those who use logic. He fights logic with logic to prove how "reason"can limit the perception of an individual. Piscine openly mocks the rigidity and coldness of atheism in chapter twenty-two:

        

I can well imagine an atheist’s last words: “White, white! L-L-Love! My God!—and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he satys true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying “Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,” and, to the very end, lack of imagination and miss the better story. (Martel 64)

Logic represents that which omits the mystery, vulnerability, and flawed nature of humans. In the end, Martel's character choices create a fine line between those who have faith and those who use logic.

     Penultimately, a key componenet of Martel's persuasion towards faith is the connection between the two stories at the end of the novel. One could say the development of a logical, more plausible story relates to the difference between literal and metaphorical interpretations of the Bible.

     Overall, interfaith dialogue, mockery of atheism, and an alternative ending suggests The Life of Pi is a strong proponent of faith over logic. This book reveals to the reader whether they value the vulnerability and mystery of faith or the realism and reason of logic. I learned a lot about myself in reading this book, because it defined my interest in my religion and faith sharper. Martel's writing truly betters the relationship between the reader and faith.

   

Post #2: A List of Memorable Books

1. The Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling. I picked up the first book in the third grade on a dare. It was in the sixth grade reading section, so I thought I was living on the wild side. Ever since, I've been hooked on Rowling's healthy combination of fantasy, love, and rebellious youth.
2. Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger. Something about the mindless chatter intrigued me. Stream-of-consciousness writing evokes a sense of personality and vulnerability with the writer.
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. After seeing a world without books, I learned to appreciate the power of reading in society.
4. Gender Trouble, Judith Butler. Though a rather short read, Gender Trouble took me almost two months to finish. I found it memorable because I had never taken that long to comprehend a piece of writing. It really requires an open mind and focus.
5. The Empire of Tea, MacFarlane. Exploring the relationship between man and tea, Macfarlane introduces some surprising finds on how the tea plant influences international politics, imperialism, and colonial economies of the world.
6. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Carroll. It is the best escapist novel yet. Carroll makes words into pictures, both literally and figuratively. I am blown away every time I read his book (roughly six times so far), much less open it.