Weekly Blog: Week 10

The references of women in Hamlet are subtle, yet once found show how we have advanced in society since centuries ago (and how we haven't). Gertrude and Ophelia are blamed for many problems and are controlled by men in the story. Ophelia's father doesn't want her to be with Hamlet and she obeys him. Not only does her doubtless obedience show how society has changed, but they way her father assumes it is his right to decide whom Ophelia will love shows the difference of mindset between now and then.
I started wondering if I, in that time, would be offended by such treatment. Without today's supposed equality, would I have the same frame of thought as I would if I lived then? I think opinions are based on what we are surrounded by as well as our innate characteristics, so when one changes, will the other pull through?

Weekly Blog: Week 9

Last week we presented our sonnets; I was in Tennessee on my group's presentation day, but I was there in its preparation. The sonnet proved Shakespeare's talent in creating multiple meanings in a work of literature. It seems as if each sentence he writes holds a contradiction, and he wants the reader to pick apart each word to get deeper insight.
In Tennessee, I noticed the differences two cultures within a culture can really have. I also saw the similarities between the state and my mother's town. I also decided I don't want to live in Tennessee (at least not until I'm 21, since until then, there will be nothing for me to do).
Being there with certain members of my family also reinforced the importance of knowledge and experience. It is truly noticeable, the difference between an intelligent person and one that's not so. I met a friend of my cousin's who has been all over the world, even in his youth. He told me to skip vacations to Europe and go somewhere in East Asia. There, he said, he went without any plans beyond flights and had one of the best weeks of his life. It inspired me to think about the benefits of all this hard work we do in school, and that if the opportunity is taken, it will all be worth it.

Weekly Blog: Week 8

This week I'd like to blog about an event I attended during class on Thursday. Gabby Eaton and I were invited to Shelter Network's Benefit Breakfast as honored guests for our donation of artwork to the family shelter. We wanted to encourage our class to donate paintings to the shelter in order to let those living there know that there are people who care about them. We also painted a mural that now hangs in the main entrance of the shelter.
Dan Rather spoke at the event and even he, being a talented and experienced reporter, choked up a bit because of his passion for the organization. It is such a worthy cause, and I am so glad I became involved in improving the lives of homeless families struggling to get back on their feet. Seeing the number of people who attended the breakfast, and thus donated to Shelter Network, was inspiring. It's incredible to see so many people (nearing 1000) involved in achieving such a wonderful goal.

Weekly Blog: Week 7

As I've begun taking notes on law for my essay, I have been drawn to the moral side of the law and how it affects the choices people of a society make. In Antigone, Creon's son shares the ideas of his father, but he tells the king not to act so godly and to accept others' thoughts and opinions. At first Creon is happy to have such an obedient son, since that's the respectable way to be. But, this "respect" also encourages closed thinking. If the son is led to think the way his father thinks and such happens for generations, no new ideas are created and no one has an individual opinion. The same happens as an effect of law; when something is widely accepted and never challenged, everyone will think the same way. Law therefore naturally creates monotonous thought and should be challenged whenever seen necessary in order to preserve diverse opinion.