Ooooh No, Oroonoko

Well, I am frightened by the ending. And I am trying to not think that Aphra Behn is sadistically crazy, so with that in mind, the only thing I can say about this book is this: If she is trying to portray the native peoples of Africa in a positive light and prove a point, she definitely did. She has shown a great prince, who was well educated and just like a white man, be literally and symbolically ripped apart and destroyed by white slave owners. This novella strongly shows how a man who similar to the white race and be beaten down and forced to be a savage. It's like the saying, "If you call a dog a bad name, he'll answer to it." I think I've actually used that quote in a blog before, but I think it applies again. Oroonoko increasingly because "whiter" and "whiter" as the story progresses, as he picks up things like the name Caesar, and he becomes more aggressive like the white men. He was not even planning to revolt, and yet by the end he is just as violent as the next. I did think that Behn tried to foreshadow her point when she showed Oroonoko hunting in the woods. He shoots through the heart of a female lion and gives the cub to the narrator. I think that the female lion is somehow representing the murder of his lover, who he kills himself, and she is therefore unable to give birth. But in giving the lion cub to Behn, he is somehow passing on the legacy to her. Maybe that's a stretch, but I'm really trying to think of Behn as a good person who is trying to prove a point. Basically, by allowing the reader to relate to Oroonoko in the first part of the book, she makes them more sympathetic to his gruesome and horrible death at the end. If the reader can be sympathetic to his mistreatment and death, perhaps they will be more sympathetic to slaves and the issues at hand during the time period. Or, Behn is just really sick. I'm not sure but I hope its the first.

Othello Acts 3-5

After this reading assignment, I am impressed by the complex characters that Shakespeare is able to depict and contrast. It is amazing how he is able to manipulate the image of Desdemona according to Othello by using Iago's tales while simultaneously keeping Desdemona a pure character. He keeps her so pure, that is it easier for the plot to further itself. Even when Desdemona is about to die and Othello's rage has steadily increased to dangerous levels, she still remains faithful to her husband and to the principle of loyalty in marriage. Shakespeare also makes Iago a very smart and intriguing character in the way Iago plots out the turn of events. He does not just create ficitious stories that he tells Othello, but he actually plays a role as Othello's close friend. He doesn't just openly turn against Cassio, but attempts to defend Cassio's false actions. In doing this, he makes himself an even more upstanding and believable source in the eyes of Othello. The characteristic that helps Iago with his plan the most is his ability to get people to trust him. He convinces Roderigo throughout the story to trust and believe him while eventually leading him to his death. He convinces Othello so full heartedly that Othello believes Iago over his own wife or others around him. This type of villian is especially malicious when it is compared to the angelic Desdemona, who even in death, tries to defend her lover by saying she committed suicide. Othello's madness almost seems to be Shakespeare's way of combining the two contrasting characteristics of good and bad into one confused character in the middle. Shakespeare has created a piece of literature that covers the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Othello Acts 1-2

After reading this week's assignment after having already read Othello, I can't help but notice just how angry and petty Iago is even from the start. He truly sets out to be the villain and does a pretty good job at it. He's hateful and spiteful towards women and I find it funny that he is convinced that Othello has slept with his wife Emilia.  Othello is portrayed as someone who is in love and loyal to Desdemona and also s very trusting person.  It seems as though Iago is suspicious of Othello because that is something that Iago himself would do.  He wants to cure his problem of Othello sleeping with his wife by sleeping with Desdemona, but I doubt that even that would solve his problems.  He would continue to be even more suspicious.  I think he's just a genuinely corrupted person. 

Montaigne and Bacon Essays

I can honestly say that I loved Francis Bacon's writing and didn't like Montaigne.  Montaigne was long winded and stuffy.  I think he lost me after the story about Marie Germane in "Of Force of Imagination." The writing was unclear at points and didn't grab my attention nearly as much as Bacon's.   

The writings I liked the most were "Of Travel" and "Of Studies," though I will say that I also really enjoyed "Of Plantations" and "Of Friends."  I wish that I had read "Of Travel" before I had studied abroad in Rome.  All of his suggestions for travel were incredibly accurate to how people still travel, and I couldn't help but think of Rick Steve's or Go Europe! when he was describing a book of the city people should carry with them.  His description of a servant or person who knows the area just reminded me of different tour guides people use when traveling, and its not uncommon to bring at least a phrase book with you to have some knowledge of the country's language. I know that I personally kept a journal while studying abroad, as did other girls, and I don't know anyone who regretted doing that.  I really like his suggestion at the end to keep the culture with you, not in dress or souvenirs, but in how you act and carry yourself. 

"Of Studies" was also incredibly interesting to read.  He really seemed to sum up society's views of education when he said "Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation."  He seems to be discussing street smarts versus book smarts, with a strong undertone of being in favor of book smarts.  Its stereotypical, but I think that it still rings true for some, all the same.  

I really enjoyed Bacon as a writing.  His writing style was structured and yet it read much more easily than Montaigne's.  His diction was quote-worthy and he stuck to the point. It was an overall good read.