Predictions "All My Sons"

I'm guessing that this play will end really dramatically.

Since George came, he will probably re-open the court case against Joe Keller. Now that Joe told Chris that he knowingly sent out the cracked warheads, I am guessing that honest Chris will probably testify in court against his father. In the end Joe will probably go to jail...

Huh, I wonder what's actually gonna happen...

End of Twilight... start of night

I think it is very smart for authors to leave partially unresolved endings for books.

If everything was resolved, no-one would read the sequel! Twilight gives so much opportunity for people to read New Moon that it seems like people are emptying the bookstores of their shelves to buy the sequel (it also comes with temporary tattoos... in case anyone wanted to know)

1. James is dead, but what about Victoria, his girlfriend?
2. It seems like Bella and Edward are together... what about Jacob?
3. Can Bella survive with all the dangers of being with the vampires?

Looks like New Moon will be a wild ride. :)

Sighs at Twilight

Twilight is still a book that really fascinates me.
Not even in the writing or the story,
but in the way people react.
I look at the plot: a typical love triangle set up between a girl and two impossibly amazing guys.
And then I think... are people so predictable, so simple as to react in such a way to this? It seems like human instincts are irrestrainable. They will always be intrigued by this situation. I think about it, and it is the same as the common soap opera. This is the conflict which people live for.
The book is written well...
but somehow the banality of it all kinda spoils it for me.

Cross-Application 2

I really find that I identify well with quotes by Oscar Wilde, the Irish philosopher of the 19th century... let's apply them to Twilight. :)

"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."

Obviosly some wise words that would do well to both Edward and Jacob. I think though that Edward is kinda moving towards this idea, and for this reason Jacob is freaking out completely... poor guy. Oscar Wilde is proven correct. :)

"I can resist anything but temptation."

Hahaha, wonderful. :) But anyways, this really reminded me of Edward, and of the whole Cullen family in general, living with tempation all the time... I cant even imagine what that must be like, having to keep yourself from doing what you want every hour of the day. They don't even get a break at night... :P

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself."

One more for Edward, a little less cynical though. Thanks Mr. Wilde. :P Edward isn't necessarily yielding to his tempation to suck Bella's blood, but to his temptation to be close to her. It seems like the stronger temptation conquered. :)

Some think he's cynical, I think he's brilliant. Really, Oscar Wilde has so many wise thoughts that we can take with a grain of salt and really think about...

Cross-Application

Someone I know wrote a philosophy and I've been finding lots of ways to apply it to my outside reading book....

"If we love others, then we bear the pain of unreturned love, or the pain of helplessness when we cannot do anything for them. But we are comforted by the love itself, even when it is grief, for sometimes the grief is the love."

This passage accurately reflects the amorous conflict between Bella, Edward and Jacob. When I read it I think of Jacob, trying to do whatever he can for Bella, but not being able to because of his fated conflict with the vampires.

"If we are hated, then we bear the pain of another's scorn. But we are comforted in the knowledge that other's love us, and that the other's hate is a challenge, to be turned into love."

Once again the passage portrays the conflict between Jacob and Edward. Mortal enemies, trying to be pulled together by Bella. Bella is the love, and to each, the other is the challenge. However eventually they will have to love each other if they both want to be close to Bella.

"If we are frightened, we bear the pain of the unknown. But we are comforted by plunging into it. For only by shedding our own light into the darkness can we be truly sure of what is there."

There are so many times in the book where Bella has no experience in whatever is going on and therefore has to master her fears... for instance, when she is being pursued by James. But also, even when she realizes that Edward and his family are vampires: she had to put her preconceptions aside and be brave to find out that they are really some of the kindest people she would ever meet.

"If we are overwhelmed, we bear the pain of the world on our shoulders. But we are comforted in knowing that our togetherness with other people will help us to bear it."

Bella has to face so many difficult situations in the book that it would be impossible for her to survive them without the help of the people around her. Both emotionally and physically, she is being put under so much pressure because of her affiliation with fantastic creatures.

"And if we feel that no one loves us, then we look upwards, for beneath the crimson sky we are all equals. All equally nourished by the sun and the produce of the earth. All equally supplied with what we need to survive by nature. For if no one else loves us, we will find love in the stars."

I guess that Jacob is trying to forget Bella once Edward comes into the picture. He is probably thinking along the lines of this philosophy, being so close to nature.

And the finale....

"And if you are not comforted by any of these things, then know that even though we may not have borne pain together, that our pain may take different forms. That it hurts us all. And as one bearer of pain to another, I love you. I love you for holding on and for fighting and for never giving in and for getting up each morning and making it through the day. And for whatever it may mean to you, I pray for your pain to end, for your hurt to come to a close. For a moment of respite."

Supporting Characters

There are a lot of interesting characters in Twilight that have been important in developing the plot, but haven't been central to the story yet. However they still add interesting elements to the book that make you feel really glad they are there.

Emmett: Edward's brother is described as really big and muscular, which makes a strong contrast to Edward. This contrast highlights the more elegant physique of Edward in a more original way than just stating adjectives. The fact that Stephenie Meyer decided to characterize Edward by using characters around him to make contrasts shows her talent as a writer.

Esme: Edward's mom is used as a kind character who welcomes Bella into their family. She is the extreme of civilized vampires, being incredibly kind to Bella the human and looking at her as a complete equal, as her own child. This character was used by the author as an effective way to bring Bella closer to Edward's family in a smooth and comfortable way.

Carlisle: Edward's wise father is the face of the family to the human community in their town. He represents the family to the outside world, and in this way, provides Stephenie Meyer with a way for the whole town to know the Cullen family. Also, the strategic placement of him as an important doctor also puts him in the spotlight of Forks, Washington. This way, when Bella wants to find out information about Edward's family, anyone she asks would know about the Cullens.

There are definately more but I am tired of typing...

Not posting

All of this MEA weekend has been sooo crazy...

All of Friday and Saturday I was at a debate tournament at Hopkins High School. My brain is totally fried, hehe. But it was really fun! I did really well, which is cool!

And for this reason, I have not been blogging very much.

Twilight is interesting because anyone can apply it to their life. Trying to tear yourself between two people is something a lot of people have to face in their life. Just as Bella has to choose between Edward or Jacob, people have to make choices in their lives.
Making choices between objects is pretty easy... there is no emotion involved usually. You can practically decide which is more useful to you and choose that one.
However making choices between people is one of the most difficult things you can encounter in life. You can make decisions that are worse for you in the end just because of your moral beleifs or feelings at that moment. Also, the fact that the person you are leaving out has feelings of their own adds another dimension to the problem. Reading people psychology is difficult until you imagine yourself in their place... but then again, how do you know that everyone takes things tha same way?

People are fascinating. Twilight as a book brings up many ideas about life which can be cross-applied to many situations.

Twilight Books Again...

It really is interesting to see how love triangles work out.

In Twilight you kind of got a sneak preview of the full extent of the conflict about to happen in New Moon. Bella has to choose between two guys, each perfect in a different way. Hmmm... should she go with Edward, the strong and sophisticated vampire, or Jacob, the fun-loving and boyish werewolf? It really is interesting because half the people I know think one way and the other half thinks the other way.

And what about Mike Newton?

Just kidding. :)

Anyways just thought I'd treat you all to what love SHOULD look like... Good old "Pride and Prejudice"-style romance. YES. :D No problems there...

The 400 Blows: Analysis and Thoughts

The graceful streets and splendid architecture of Paris give the city a façade of joy and contentment. However, not many people can look inside the lives of the people living there, only to see problems just like in any other city. In my opinion, The 400 Blows is a well made movie in all aspects. The moviemaking skills, as well as the literary and dramatic aspects of the film combine to make a very pleasurable viewing experience. It is effective because it shows an example of the life of a seemingly typical young French boy in the late 1950s. It does this by closely following the actions and feelings of the protagonist, Antoine Doinel, throughout the movie.
In terms of good usage of literary aspects of filmmaking, The 400 Blows is a perfect example. The plot, for instance, is complex; not only is there a conflict between Antoine and the authorities in his life, but there is also an ongoing conflict between his mother and father. Antoine is skipping school and keeping it from his parents, while his mother is cheating on his father, which also adds an element of secrecy to the plot. Eventually, these two problems collide when Antoine catches his mom kissing another man in the street: Antoine’s mother must be kinder to him in fear of him telling his father that she is unfaithful. Meanwhile, Antoine wants his mother to maintain his image of a good student for his father. These struggles for power and secrecy are important for building the plot, but also for building the characters. We can see from these events that Antoine has a good heart, but frequently rebels against authority because of the way his mother treats him. Also, we can see that Antoine’s mother does not care about the preservation of their family because she is unfaithful to her husband and she is always bitter at Antoine. Finally, the character of Antoine’s father is developed as tolerant and trusting: he didn’t believe that Antoine could be lying when he said he didn’t have his Michelin book. However, eventually Antoine’s father discovers how deeply Antoine broke his code of trust and in effect, practically disowns him.
The dramatic aspects of this film help develop the overall feel of the movie by adding visual details to keep the storyline moving not only in the plot, but also in the eyes of the viewer. In terms of costume and make-up, it is easy to see that Antoine’s mother is vain and cares mostly about her appearance. She is constantly fixing herself in front of the mirror and dresses very fashionably for the time, as shown in the scene when she is walking amidst the other mothers at the reform school, wearing dainty shoes and a careful hat and coat. She also looks very young to be a mother, especially compared to the other mothers in the movie. The actress Claire Maurier effectively portrays her frustration in trying to bring up a rebellious child while being dissatisfied with her life at home. Lighting is also a very intense technique used in the film as a dramatic aspect. When Antoine is riding in the jail cart, all but his face is immersed in dark, displaying his loneliness in the world. As his face turns, the viewer notices a tear gleaming on his cheek, enhanced by the contrast of light and dark. Jean-Pierre Léaud is an actor who shows the innocent and childlike side of Antoine, but also his separation from his family and the rest of society, and being wiser about the problems of life than other children his age who have not felt problems between people. Antoine’s father, it seems, is not aware that his son is lying to him. However, the actor Albert Rémy brings up hints about his knowledge that his wife is cheating on him, like his conversation with his wife that the audience does not see, but only hears from the other room with Antoine. It depicts his character as a man who tries to preserve his family at all costs, even tolerating an unfaithful wife. The poor father tries to make Antoine better, but finally gives up and sends him to a reform school. The superb make-up job, lighting and acting in The 400 Blows set it apart as a gem in terms of dramatic elements of filmmaking.
Cinematic elements are very important in making a movie, and the staff working on The 400 Blows seemed to know the secrets to making the most effective movie. In the introduction, the camera shots are long, focusing on the Eiffel Tower as the camera progressively nears the Parisian landmark. The distance starts out large and ends up right under the tower. This satisfies the introduction of the setting, for now we know that the story takes place in Paris, France. It is also a time when the main musical theme of the movie is introduced. The melody sounds nostalgic and lonely, a tribute to better days, like Antoine reminiscing about his past and dreaming about his future. Long camera shots are a reoccurring theme in the movie – they are evident especially in the end when Antoine is shown running away from the reform school, the scenery behind him changing gradually from forest to sea shore. At that moment, the movie is silent, except for Antoine’s heavy breathing. It is like a time in the end when the viewers can remember everything they learned about Antoine and sympathize with his fate. These cinematic elements provide a much more exciting viewing experience than would have otherwise been possible.
The 400 Blows, although being set in a different hemisphere, has many similarities with Richard Wright’s Black Boy. First of all, both Richard and Antoine are children with good hearts who do many bad things. Richard burned down his house, and Antoine almost succeeded in doing the same, thanks to his Balzac shrine. Both boys’ parents have marital problems: in Richard’s case, his dad left his mom, while in Antoine’s case, his mom was cheating on his dad. Both boys are rebelling against the authority figures around them: Richard against his grandma and Antoine against his parents. However, there remains a difference between the two boys: there is no racial prejudice against Antoine, while it is the main conflict in Richard’s life. In this way, the boys stand far apart, even though they are similar in so many other ways.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who would want to expand themselves culturally. It is tastefully made, utilizing literary, dramatic, and cinematic elements of filmmaking, creating the optimal film viewing experience. Aside from the language barrier, the movie’s ideas are effectively carried straight from France into our American lives, and all of us can identify with the movie’s characters and their internal struggles. The plot efficiently relates the main events of Antoine’s life in a way that makes it interesting for the viewers to watch. Along with this, elements of French life are also presented in the movie, allowing the viewer to see what life was like in France in the 1950’s. A lot can be learned about French culture by watching this movie. Overall, I enjoyed this film and believe that many people can find something to love in this masterpiece of filmmaking.

Transitions into New Moon

I am halfway through New Moon. It seems like once people read up to this point they already know who they like more - Edward or Jacob.

For me... I'm just not sure.

It seems like when Edward is gone I sympathize with Jacob, and I really do think Bella is wrong to have led him on like this....

But then when Bella gets Edward's voice in her head, I always sympathize with Edward - he still cares about her!

This is so difficult, I guess I like both Edward AND Jacob just the same.

What is more dangerous to live with, a vampire or a werewolf?

Anyways...

a likeness of Jacob? Most people say this isn't how they imagined him, but whatever... I guess I just perceive characters differently.