Writing Portfolio

1. Blog Post 2 The Shepherd Williem Blake
2. Blog post 5 A Midsummer Night's Dream New Historicism, Cultural Studies
3. Blog Post 6 “A Midsummer Night's Dream” Play vs. Film
4. Re- Psychoanalytic "The Metamorphosis"

    This semester I learned how to analyse a text and look for the profound meaning. I learned the close read, so I can understand the text as same as others and find the strategic points of the text and analyse them with a proper theory. I also learned what is remix and mashup and why they are in our lives.
    I choose Blog Post 2 The Shepherd Williem Blake because it is the my first try to analyse a text. The essay maybe is not good to explain the specialty of the poem, but I think I described my understanding about the poem.
    The second choise Blog post 5 A Midsummer Night's Dream New Historicism, Cultural Studies, it is the first try to use the quotation to support my opinion. It is hard to find an same idea or a close analysis to support when the title or focus text are unusual. But in the title, I find the close analysis, and it was great to support my opinion, but regrettably, the form of the quote was not good and it disturb to read.
    I choose Blog Post 6 “A Midsummer Night's Dream” Play vs. Film because I learned the most important point in this semester. Before I finish an essay, I should make sure reader can be understood the sentences and the opinion of you write. It should be populer words and esay and clearly sentence. So I check every sentences and  try to fix them after I post it.
   I choose Re- Psychoanalytic "The Metamorphosis" because the analyse was unclearly before I rewrite it. I rewrite all the essay and delete some useless part and look for some new quotation to support my work.
    Throughout this semester none of my essays were completely perfect each one had flaws and need improvement, but I think the final project show the all the things I have learned in the class. I believe it is my best work in the term.

Romeo + Juliet (1996 film)

New Historicism, Cultural Studies

How are events’ interpretation and presentation a product of the culture of the author?

Event: families’ feud

            Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The film is an abridged modernization of Shakespeare's play. While it retains the original Shakespearean dialogue, the Montagues and the Capulets are represented as warring business empires and swords are replaced by guns (manufactured by 'Sword').  (Romeo + Juliet)

The original play Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. (Romeo and Juliet)

            I’m focusing on the reason of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the families’ feud. In the original play and the film, it does not mention what the feud is about, or how it started. It is thought that the feud has been going on for such a long time that even the families don't remember what it was about. At the end, the families are reconciled by Romeo and Juliet’s deaths and agree to end their violent feud. For the hostile family reason, the families lost their children. Usually, they would be angry and more hostile to each other, but they are reconciled. We can think that the feud is not very important, or they don’t have the reason to keep the feud. In fact, the feud is not because the conflict of interest, also it cannot bring any advantages to them, too.  We can suppose the families want to end the feud, but they don’t have the opportunity to reconcile to each other. When they are reconciled, they already paid a heavy price.

            Why do they keep the feud when they both want to end it? We can find a clue in the play. “Juliet's cousin Tybalt incensed that Romeo had sneaked into the Capulet ball, challenges him to a duel. Romeo, now considering Tybalt his kinsman, refuses to fight. Mercutio is offended by Tybalt's insolence, as well as Romeo's "vile submission," and accepts the duel on Romeo's behalf. Mercutio is fatally wounded when Romeo attempts to break up the fight. Grief-stricken and wracked with guilt, Romeo confronts and slays Tybalt.” (Romeo and Juliet) We suppose Mercutio refuses to fight too. What will they gain? I think they will not gain anything without shame and insult, and they will lose their honour and dignity. I quote a part of the original play,

 “CAPULET

Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;

He bears him like a portly gentleman;

And, to say truth, Verona brags of him

To be a virtuous and well-govern'd youth:

I would not for the wealth of all the town

Here in my house do him disparagement:

Therefore be patient, take no note of him:

It is my will, the which if thou respect,

Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,

And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.”

And someone comment “Tybalt's first response to seeing Romeo at the Capulet party is to kill him. But, here we see that Capulet (Juliet's dad) doesn't seem to mind that a Montague is in his home. In fact, Capulet says that Romeo is basically a nice kid so Tybalt should just calm down and leave him alone. Hmm. Does this mean that the big Capulet/Montague feud isn't as big a deal as everybody thinks it is? It seems like the family drama is much more important to the younger generation (Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet) than it is to the older generation.” (shmoop) In the film, there is a same plot, but the weapon is gun, and the duel is like Cowboy duel. It is more exaggerated and ironic. Two people bet their lives to guard their honour and dignity. Is it really worth it? It is because it not the personal honour, it is the family honour. They don’t make mistake. The mistake is their families made, specifically, it is Romeo and Juliet’s parents made. The parents are the two families’ leaders. They indulge or support the feud kept between the two families.

            Romeo refuses the duel, and he knows it will harm his family’s honour. It is a nice try to solve hatreds between the two families. At the end of the story, he chooses death with Juliet but not revenge to Capulet (Juliet’s family). It is impulsive, but it is sane too. It is the best way to end their families’ feud (he thinks Juliet already died). He is a brave man. Someone needs to pay price if he want to end the feud. It is not Romeo’s fate, but Romeo chooses it. In the unlimited feud between Montague and Capulet, he is brave to try the first step of end it. The feud will result in the hatred, and the hatred will result in the tragedy. Only the brave man can endure the hatred and end the feud, and it prevents more tragedies.

Works Cited

“Romeo +Juliet” Wikipadia, The free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. June 25 2012. Web. June 26 2012.

“Romeo and Juliet” Wikipadia, The free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. June 21 2012. Web. June 26 2012.

“Romeo and Juliet” Shmoop, We Speak Student. Shmoop University, Inc. Web. June 26 2012.

Re- Psychoanalytic "The Metamorphosis"

The story The Metamorphosis was written by Franz Kafka in 1912, first published in 1915. (“The Metamorphosis Background”) The hero, Gregor, transforms into an insect. The story describes his life and the relationships between him and his family after he transformed. From the story, we can see that the money is an important element of the human relationships, and in the author’s opinion, people usually abandon the affection if it conflict with their money.

            In the story, the relationships have been changed two times. The first time is when Gregor lost his job, and the second time is after his family members can earn money by themselves. At beginning of the story, Gregor is the most important person in the family because he is the only one who earned money in the family. After he transformed, he became their liabilities. “Grete tells her parents that they must get rid of Gregor or they will all be ruined. Her father agrees, wishing Gregor could understand them and would leave of his own accord.”(“The Metamorphosis”) They leave Gregor alone and look for new life only because they can earn a lot of money from that. We can’t find affection between Gregor and other people in his family. “Upon discovering that Gregor is dead, the family feels a great sense of relief.”(“The Metamorphosis”) They did not feel sad or regret anything when Gregor die.

            Gregor also represents the author, Franz Kafka himself. We can find many elements from the story, and they are same as author in the real world. He did not have the concern from his family. His father was always strict with him. “His father, Hermann Kafka, was described as a ‘huge, selfish, overbearing businessman’.” And when Kafka changed his job, he did not get encouragement from his father because his father was not pleased. “His father often referred to his son's job as insurance officer as a "Brotberuf", literally "bread job", a job done only to pay the bills. “(“Franz Kafka”) Kafka feels loneliness. He feels like Gregor transformed to an insect. He feels like his family did not treat him like a human. His parents were too busy worrying about money.

            When I read The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s father agreed to abandon his son because it can save the family money. The father thinks his life was more important than his son. What will be happen if Gregor still can earn money, even if he transforms into an insect? Do they still leave him alone? The metamorphosis is not the reason why Gregor lost his family’s affection. It is better to understand like conversely, everyone transforms into an insect without Gregor. They transformed when they pay most attention to the money, so they lost their human heart. That is the reason why Gregor feel he transformed. That is what Kafka wants to express.

Work Cited

“The Metamorphosis Background” GradeSaver LLC. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Web. June 20 2012.

“The Metamorphosis” Wikipadia, The free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. June 20 2012. Web. June 20 2012.

“Franz Kafka”  Wikipadia, The free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. June 18 2012. Web. June 20 2012.

Blog Post 6 “A Midsummer Night's Dream” Play vs. Film

“A Midsummer Night's Dream” Play vs. Film

Law and Interpersonal Relationship

            A midsummer Night’s Dream is a play by William Shakespeare. We believed the play to have been written between 1590 and 1596. The play of the film “ShakespeaRe-Told: A Midsummer Night's Dream” was written by Peter Bowker. The story of the film was similar to the original play but in the modern time. There are a lot of differences between the play and the film because the eras are different when the stories were happening.

            In the original play, we can find this:

“Be it so she; will not here before your grace

Consent to marry with Demetrius,

I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,

As she is mine, I may dispose of her:

Which shall be either to this gentleman

Or to her death, according to our law

Immediately provided in that case.” (William)

The young men and women had to run away from the city if they wanted to marry with who they loved. We cannot think about someone must die if she does not want to marry with who her parents choose, and we also cannot believe the absurd thing can be a law. In the film, the daughter refused her father’s request and left with her boyfriend in the party, but nobody stop them because they didn’t have the right. They can’t restrict lover personal freedom because it is illegal.

            In the film, the mother argues with the father, and the King talks with the father, too. At the end, the father admits his mistake and apologizes to the mother, so they can make a happy end. That is a good example of modern interpersonal relationship. In the play, there is not a lot of description of the family after the lovers left. The lovers did not try to change the parents’ decision because the law gives the parents overmuch right. The thing like a good friend goes to advise the parents will not be happened because it concerns their honor. If somebody did that, maybe the father will duel with him. “Although originally, the offended honor of a man could be restored only by the inherent danger of the duel, this norm was gradually replaced by the likelihood that the opponent would not attempt to kill him in return.”(Banks) We also can find the events of duel from other Shakespeare’s plays. Duel was a culture in Europe in the pass, and it was popular because it is legal. (Duel) They are more likely to use violence but not talk to settle a dispute with somebody.

            After we compare the two stories, we can see the progress of laws. The laws protect personal freedom and safety. People can settle disputes with others in peace. That is helpful to improve the interpersonal relationship but not create conflicts and hatred.

.Work Cited

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream 6.13.2012 web.

Banks, Stephen Journal of British Studies; Jul2008, Vol. 47 Issue 3, p528-558, 31p

Duel, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 6.13.2012 web.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Film)

EBSCOhost: Liberty in the United States: THE GROWING CONSTRAINT ON PERSONAL FREEDOM

Blog post 5 A Midsummer Night's Dream New Historicism, Cultural Studies

            A Midsummer Night's Dream is a famous play by William Shakespeare. It is comedy. The story is talking about two men Lysander, Demetrius, and two women Hermia, Helena elope to a forest, and the spirit Puck makes trouble. An event, elopement in the story is prominent. It is not accidental. Another famous play Romeo and Juliet also had similar event in it. That presents the current culture of the author’s time.

          In 16^th century, England, the arranged marriage was popular. There was no free love between young men and women. It was more severe between the noblemen. Their children usually were engaged when the children were 12 to 14 years old. The noblemen did that to maintain their power and social status. “The treatment of the crime of 'rapt', the marriage without parental approval, illustrates how magistrates in the 16th and 17th centuries incorporated their own opinions and values into the laws. Control over children's marriages was important both to the families trying to improve their status and to the political and religious authorities. The magistrates of the Paris Parlement, representing the interests of the nobility of the robe, strengthened the authority of the father by adding more severe provisions to the laws and by consistently judging and sentencing in favor of the parents. Thus the robe nobility gained control over marital alliances to benefit their prestige, status, and power.” (Cummings) Of course, that was not happy for the noblemen’s children, but most of them cannot change anything before they married. When the children grew up, they maybe have to do same thing to their children too because they were in the noble family. That was why the elopement is scandal in the noble family, but elopement drama still was popular on the society.

          On the other hand, the play had a happy end, but it was not changed by human power but by mythical blessing. We can know the author was not satisfied for his marriage too. “The hamlet of Shottery was only a mile from the town of Stratford where William Shakespeare lived with his family. Anne Hathaway would have often visited the town and would have therefore had the opportunity to meet William Shakespeare. At this time Anne would have been 26 and William 18. A considerable age difference, with William Shakespeare still under the age of consent (21). It is apparent that Anne Hathaway became pregnant prior to marriage which would have no doubt caused a scandal for both of the families. Not an auspicious start for a marriage or a perfect choice of a wife for the son of an ambitious family. William Shakespeare's father John, in particular, would not have been pleased at the detrimental effect that the gossip would have had on his own social standing in Stratford. A hasty affair would have been arranged.” (William) The author wanted some change of the marriage culture, so he wrote the play to encourage other to do something.

          Elopement is an important event in the play. It is not a good choice of the young men and women, but they have to choose it to look for happiness. We can know the social culture from the play, and the play also expressed author’s opinion on the marriage.

Work Cited

Cummings, Mark Proceedings of the Western Society for French History; Oct1976, Vol. 4, p118-125, 8p

William Shakespeare info web 6.6.2012

A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare