Much Ado About Nothing-Stereotypes

In this play, Much Ado About Nothing, many different stereotypes are shown but, the one that is most present is the stereotype of women. In the play, Shakespeare makes men seem so much more superior than women. The play give us the idea that once you have a man, you will be satisfied. A great example of this is the relationship between Hero and Claudio. Firstly, Claudio decides he wants to marry Hero She doesn't take anytime to think about her decision, she just goes right on with the marriage. But, at the ceremony, Claudio sladers her and is extremely harsh as he states, "There Leonato, take her back again. Give not this rotten orange to your friend. Hse's but sign and semblance of her honor" (IV.1.27-30). You would think she would stand up and say something on her behalf but, instead, she innocently takes all the false accusations. Later in the play, everone pretends Hero is dead so Claudio will feel badly about what he's done. In the end Hero and Claudio get remarried. But it's odd that there's no apology from Claudio. Hero just takes him back as if nothing ever happened.

In my opinion, I believe Shakespeare does agree with this stereotype. Back during his time, many men thought women were insignificant. They thought they were much more superior and had all the power. It's no doubt that Shakespeare thought this way because that was the "normal" way to view things. By writing about the stereotypes of men and women in this play, we are able to see how life was for women in Shakespeares time in comparison to our day today.

Much Ado About Nothing-Lying

In my opinion, lying is never the right thing to do. But, this isn't a perfect world and lies are always told. If you tell a lie to help someone or to benefit them in someway, I believe it is acceptable. But, if you lie just to make someone angry or because you think it is a fun joke, then it is unethical. In Much Ado About Nothing many lies are told. Some are told to help certain people. One example of this is when Don Pedro plans to lie to Hero so he can make her fall in love with Claudio. He tells Claudio, "I will assume thy part in some disguise/ And tell fair Hero I am Claudio,/ And in her bosom I'll umclasp my heart/ And take her hearing prisoner with force/ And strong encounter of my amorous tale"(I.1.259-263). Don Pedro is going to lie to Hero just so he can gain her love for Claudio but, he will eventually tell her the truth. But, there are lies that are told in this play that are unethical. One example of this is when Claudio, Leonato and Don Pedro are walking in the garden outside and see Benedick hiding behind some bushes. They decide to poke fun at him and pretend Beatrice (Benedick's enemy) is in love with him as Don Pedro states, "What was it you told me of today,/ that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signor Benedick?" (II.2.85-86). They are telling this lie for their own pleasure. It doesn't benefit anyone in a positive way.

Lies should be told only if they are told to benefit someone in a positive way and the truth is told later, just as Don Pedro did with Hero. I know, from past experience, that is you tell a lie and never come clean about, the truth will always be revealed. My friend and I decided to hang out but, didn't invite my other friend. We thought she would never find out but, unfortunately, she did. After seeing how much this hurt our friend, we regretted it immensely and learned from our mistakes. You should never tell lies to hide the truth, it is immoral and things may happen you would never expect.

Poem Analysis: "The Road Not Taken"

The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Analysis:

I've always loved this poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. It portrays such a stong message that all of us can relate to. The poet, Robert Frost, compares a journey alone through the woods to the journey through life. We all come to places in our life where we must make a tough decision and as stated in the poem, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,/ And sorry I could not take both" (Frost 1-2). The man/woman in the poem has come to a part in the road where it splits in two. That represents the decision that must be made. Making decisions is one of the hardest parts of life. We want to make others and ourselves happy, which don't always agree. But if we know what is right, and don't worry about what others think, it will more than likely turn out the way we hoped. This is illustated when, the end the poem says, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-/ I took the one less traveled by,/ And that has made all the difference" (Frost 18-20).

This poem portrays a very positive message about decision making and doing what you know is right. In the poem, there are two different roads and as described in the poem. One road looks safer and more appealing than the other. He is indecisive about which road to take but decides to take the "Road less traveled" and states, "And that has made all the difference" (Frost 20). Frost is showing us that it is okay to go against the status quo of society because in the end, it will benefit us. I feel this poem goes along with our topic of first quarter, ethics. If you do what you know is right, you will feel no regret and be proud of yourself for being courageous.

Quarter 1 Debrief

So far, I believe English has gone exceptionally well. At first is was difficult to get used to all the new changes that occur in high school but as the year progressed, I began to feel more comfortable. The main thing I've learned this quarter is that everything doesn't always have to be one hundred percent correct. Developing great writing skills takes time and you won't learn anything unless you make mistakes and learn from them. One thing I've definitely improved on this quarter is my analytical skills and although they aren't perfect, they are getting better. But one thing I need to work on is being more precise in my writing and become better at editing my own papers. Also, I feel like I need to participate in class more and share my thoughts in disscussions.

In the beginning of the year, many of us didn't know each other and we were very hesitant to share our ideas. Now that we have spent three months together, we feel a lot more comfortable. We're able to edit each others papers and give meaningful feedback. We are also able to have intelligent disscussions as a class and really dig deep into the meaning of literature we are studying. For second quarter and the remainder of the year, we all just need to remember that everything can't always be perfect but, if we try our hardest and help each other improve, we will have a very successful year.

Blog Post #8

As we approach the end of the novel, we finally learn about Kate and her true personality. Throughout most of the novel we assume Kate is very dependent on others. She is sick and isn’t able to do much without the assistance of others. We assume she is patiently waiting for the day she can finally be healed of this horrid disease. But, at the end of the novel, Anna reveals something that is not anticipated. Anna is in court being question by Campbell when she is asked who convinced her to file for emancipation. She seems unsure and doesn’t know if she should tell the truth or not but finally she chokes out the word, Kate. People are appalled and can’t believe Kate wants to die. Kate now appears as a very independent person who knows exactly what she wants. One may think she wants to die for selfish reasons but, this isn’t true. She is really doing it for the good of her sister. She wants Anna to be able to live her life without having to protect her. Kate is sharing with Anna the benefits her death will bring and she states, “You could go to you hockey camps. You could choose a college in a whole different country. You could do anything you want and not worry about me” (390). She is tired of being a burden to her parents and wants Anna to finally be free.

At the end of the novel, an unexpected event occurs. As Campbell and Anna are returning from the court house, they get in a deadly car accident which kills Anna instantly. At the hospital, Anna’s parents are asked whether they wish donate her organs and, undoubtedly, they say yes. Throughout the novel, we wonder if Brian and Sara love Anna as much as they love Kate. They always seem preoccupied with Kate and have no time for Anna. But when she is killed, we are able to see that they love Anna just as much although, they regret the time not spent with Anna. This is illustrated when Brian states, “You may see a blue star, for example, and realize only later that it has a while dwarf as a companion-that first only shines so bright, by the time you notice the second one, it’s really too late” (416).

This book relates to our summer reading novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Both novels show us how the death of a loved one affects a person. When Oskar’s dad dies, he feels so much regret that it affects his ability to go on living a normal life. Similarly, the death of Anna made her parents realize the amount of attention they hadn’t been giving to Anna. Now that she is gone they regret it immensely.

Outside Reading Post #7

In the beginning of the novel, Campbell’s occupation as a lawyer suggests that he may have a very strong and assertive personality. But as we continue reading, this is not what we discover. We learn that Campbell has epilepsy caused by a car accident when he was a young adult. But, he doesn’t tell anyone, not even his own family. We aren’t sure why, but the novel suggest two possible reasons. One reason may be that he cares more for others than he does for himself. For example, Campbell, as a teenager, is hesitant about having a real relationship with Julia because he doesn’t want her to feel responsible for his well being. When Julia finally learns about his disability Campbell states, “Thirty CT scans later, the doctors still couldn’t really tell me why, but they made it pretty clear I’d have to live with it forever. I take a deep breath. Which is what made me realize that no one else should have to” (384). This indicates Campbell didn’t reveal to Julia he had a disability simply because he didn’t a burden to her. Another possible explanation for Campbell’s secrecy about his disability may be that he was too insecure or self-conscious to share it with others. For instance, when questioned about using a service dog, he jokingly gives them an answer but never reveals the truth. During trial, a woman and her son ask him why he uses a service dog and he responds with a grin, “I’m a lawyer…He chases ambulances for me’” (408). This makes him seem embarrassed by his disability and is not comfortable discussing it with others.

The main conflict that occurs in this section of the book is the indecisiveness of those involved in the trial. At first, coming into the trial, people are either completely for or against Anna. But as the trial unfolds, people begin to question who they should support. This seems to occur when they begin to realize how difficult it would be to see Kate die and they question whether Anna truly understands the long-term affects the death may cause. They wonder if she’s mature enough to make her own decisions responsibly. As these ideas are speculated, people begin contradicting their initial beliefs.

My Sister’s Keeper is similar to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close because both are narrated by multiple characters. This technique enables us to get a clear sense of each character’s individual personality. For example, In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close we don’t know much about Oskar’s grandfather until he begins to narrate parts of the novel. We learn that the reason why he left his wife and never met his son was because he was afraid to love someone again after the death of his first love. Through his writing we are able to see his true personal struggles, similar to when Campbell narrates parts of My Sister’s Keeper.

Outside Reading Blog Post #6

As the trial develops, many unexpected things happen. Characters develop in ways that the reader does not anticipate. Firstly, Brian reveals a change in heart about whether Anna should be a donor for Kate. Before the trial, he was consistently in support of Anna and in disagreement with his wife. But when asked at trial if he agrees with his wife's views on the matter, he surprisingly says, "Yes, I do.” When pressed further by Anna’s lawyer about the “right” answer, Brian turns the question back to Anna’s lawyer. In a “raw” voice filled with emotion, Brian asks, “Can you tell me what the right answer is here? . . . Because I don't know where to look for it. I know what's right. I know what's fair. But neither of those applies here. I can sit, and I can think about it, and I can tell you what should be and what ought to be. I can even tell you there's got to be a better solution. But it's been thirteen years, Mr. Alexander, and I still haven't found it" (346). It is never said why Brian changes his mind. But after hearing his wife testify about the bounty of love she has for both Anna and Kate, he seems to realize that keeping her alive is ultimately more important than respecting Anna’s wishes.

Another character who goes through a significant transformation is Julia. She comes across as being very strong willed and brave. But her vulnerability starts to show as the trial begins to develop and she is questioned by Campbell. She is asked to share what she believes is best for Anna and her family. As readers, we await an answer, but once she is on the witness stand, she realizes she doesn’t know what to say. She tells the judge, "This is the first time I've ever served as a guardian ad litem and been unable to reach a recommendation, and I know it's not acceptable....Your Honor. But you're not asking me to split a baby in half. You're asking me to split a family" (373). Her professional, business like personality is dissolving, and we begin to see her softer side.

The trial continues to be the main conflict as the novel continues. Campbell begins to realize that the probability of his winning the case is severely decreasing. He begins thinking less about Anna and more about his personal pride. He is returning to the way he acted in the beginning of the book; very self-centered. The trial is heading in a direction readers did not likely anticipate. Anna, Campbell, Julia, and Brian seemed like "powerhouses" compared to Sara. But now, they are beginning to understand, as Sara does, the true emotional scars the death of Kate may cause.

This novel is similar to our summer reading book, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. In that book, Oskar loses his father in 9-11. Throughout the novel, we see the true mental and emotional effects death can cause. During the trial, in My Sister's Keeper, a physiologist explains how the death of Kate will affect Anna and the rest of her family. She says the family will feel depressed and Anna will feel a sense of regret. This is similar to Oskar’s feelings after his father’s death. This illustrates how ideas expressed in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close relate to those shown in My Sister’s Keeper.