RantWeekly

AS STATED IN MY PREVIOUS BLOG:   According to the Cambridge English Dictionary , cultural appropriation is defined as the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture. I believe that this goes hand-in-hand with cultural misappropriation, in which a more dominant 'originating' culture is able to exploit an inferior culture basically by implementing a ©opyright on their traditions, fashion, symbols, language, religion, and cultural songs and claim that they are being used without their permission. That in itself is wrong because of the expected 'roles' of the less privileged groups, as if there are rules set in place for what they are allowed to wear, how they are supposed to act, what they are supposed to say, what jobs they are supposed to have, or where they are supposed to sit on the bus. I apologize for my rant, but I believe that it is necessary. I understand that Gogol wa...

According to the Oxford Dictionary , the psychiatric definition of alienation is "a state of depersonalization or loss of identity in which the self seems unreal, thought to be caused by difficulties in relating to society and the resulting prolonged inhibition of emotion". In The Namesake, every character is just at least a little lost. Practically every character struggles with his or her identity, because practically every character feels the influence of different cultures and traditions. Alienation is present in the way that the characters are developed and are able to discover themselves and their identities. "Ashima has been consuming this concoction throughout her pregnancy, a humble approximation of the snack sold for pennies on Calcutta sidewalks and on railway platforms throughout India, spilling from newspaper cones." (Chapter 1 Paragraph 1) The book begins any way a good book should with the beauty of child birth. Then the readers are presented wit...

I may be completely overthinking this but I believe that Viola's return (as in she literally wash up onto a shore) was a rebirth for her and she was able to obtain an identity that wasn't her own. The identity that she claimed is also symbolic of her vulnerabilities, which can be proven by her 'gender-bending'. Viola is able to transform from a vulnerable woman into the confident and masculine Cesario. I believe that the other characters treated Cesario with respect which would be interesting to compare the way that Viola was once treated, but I believe that Cesario is treated as any other dignified man should be treated, equally. I believe that there was a sort of light-hearted humor based around this 'gender-bending' because Viola slips up a few times while communicating with Orsino revealing minimal femininity. Viola is conflicted with her identity as Cesario. By becoming Cesario, she has also unknowingly become an object of desire for Olivia, while at th...

"If music be the food of love, play on." -Orsino Act 1 Scene 1 Line 1 Even the first line displays the underlying theme of the entirety of the play. In the synopsis it can be gathered that Twelfth Night is 'an allusion to the night of festivity preceding the Christian celebration of the Epiphany—combines love , confusion, mistaken identities, and joyful discovery.' In summary, love plays a major role in the plot and character development of Twelfth Night. The love between siblings should be shown through the connection of twins -- Sebastian and Viola -- which are unfortunately separated due to a shipwreck and that love is never displayed. Upon Viola's return as Cesario under the command of Orsino to woo Olivia on his behalf. Ironically, Olivia falls for Cesario (disguised Viola) and later confuses Cesario with Sebastian (Viola's long lost twin). Although that love triangle can be confusing at first glance, I believe that it is all in good intent because Ol...

Overwhelmed with boredom, I once again scroll through my Snapchat feed, once I've watched all the stories to completion (shameless plug: add me on Snapchat @ kalli_jacobz) I am still unsatisfied. I attempt to lessen the exhaustion and loneliness that accompanies my boredom by scrolling through the 'Discover' tab on Snapchat when I come across an article that sparked my interest. The article I stumbled upon was called ' Are YOU dating The One? Relationship coach reveals the 11 signs that prove you've met your soulmate ' which was the ultimate click bait that I totally fell for. Next thing I know I'm researching what identifies a soulmate, how long it takes to find your soulmate, and past stories of people meeting their soulmates. Only the sappiest tear-jerking stories. I was fascinated by what I found on the deep web, all of these stories of happily ever after and I began to fantasize about the one day my prince will come. The article contained some pret...

Gender definitely plays a huge role in Antony and Cleopatra , as Shakespeare introduces his most developed female character ever, Cleopatra. Cleopatra alone sets a precedent for Shakespeare's depiction of a woman in power (which is ironic) but is also dominantly in love with a submissive man. The switching of gender roles gives Shakespeare a unique appeal of a broader audience which I believe is the reason this play is still so popular today. "SOLDIER By Hercules, I think I am i' th' right. CANIDIUS Soldier, thou art, but his whole action grows Not in the power on 't. So our leader's led, And we are women's men." Act 3 Scene 7 Lines 84-87 One of Antony’s soldiers confers with Canidius about the fact that fighting at sea is foolish, because they are weaker there. Canidius proposes that Antony’s actions are not his own, but the power of the woman that leads him. To be led by another’s power is a weakness. A woman's power is weaker than a m...

Although Shakespeare can often be confusing with the constant switching of setting, but I believe that there is a deeper meaning to it. I picked up on the fact that the changing of scenery only occurred when a character switched emotions and Alexandria and Rome mirror each other which is a convenient device to interpret the meaning of the characters’ actions. In Shakespeare’s pastoral plays, some place is defined as the "other" to set off the traditions of the characters who are transported there. In this case when Antony is feeling lonely, aroused, or in need of misguided advice, he runs to Cleopatra's bosom in Egypt but when he has real responsibilities and sticks to the task he is a member of the triumvirate in Rome. Values, morals, and meanings change with each setting in the play, helping us understand the struggles that Antony has to go through and the way Cleopatra acts and makes judgments. Shakespeare presents Roman ideals as superior to Egyptian ideals in Antony ...

Whenever Antony or Cleopatra make rash decisions they tend to point out each other's flaws, degrading each other. This constant bickering does not allow for any progression in their relationship, or any relationship for that matter. Forgiveness and passion hold Antony and Cleopatra's relationship together and I believe that it may have been the foundation for a very rocky and untrusting relationship. Cleopatra is an inherently calculating woman, in contrast to the passion that Antony feels for her. Antony makes all of his flawed decisions out of his passion for Cleopatra, whereas she only makes decisions to benefit her, like her willingness to listen to Thidias, based on the fact that allying with Caesar would be an advantageous act. Shakespeare is hinting here that passion interferes with reason. I believe that the basis for a good relationship is trust, which would not result in whimsical decisions to prove passion or devotion. Which brings me to my next point, passion is in...