Pre-Seminar Response: Self Respect

1) What seems important?

“Recgnizing that anything worth having has its price” (Didion, 94). Although you want to live in a perfect life, honored by friends and families, and hoping for one day telling your grandchildren your victorious stories. That can all happen, yet you are true to yourself.

2) What surprises you?

I always think that self-respect is dignity. As long as we follow the general guidelines of life and not walked into the road of evil, our lives deserve respect. However, the people with true self-respect would “have the courage of their mistakes” (Didion, 94).

3) What puzzles you?

A3lthough its important to follow the guidelines of the reading, but its hard to do. But human nature still judges and its important to make yourself presentable. There are even careers (public and media relations) that help a person re-create their image to please others.

4) What do you like or not like and why?

I like this reading because it gets ride of the common stereotypical idea of what self-respect is and states other different ideas. Self-respect is more than being a person with honor and dignity, in fact learning how to accept oneself’s mistakes, the goodness of being indifferent, and sense of one’s intrinsic worth.

5) What ideas or thoughts come to mind that connect to other readings or your own life experiences?

Losing and gaining too much self-respect is a common problem in society today. Over the years there are many case relating to suicidal teens. Teenagers are unable to accept who they are because they do not fit into the “ideal” society; because they feel unwanted they can only escape. People with too much self respect, starts to look down on others because they feel like that they are more superior. If the world could learn to love and discover the beauty of being indifferent, the world would be such a better place.

Questions:

1) Must one be innocent to have self respect?

2) For the people who damage themselves as a career (ex, boxers, courtesan), do you thing they have any respect for themselves?

3) Do you think self-respect is important? rate from 1-10 (10 is the best)

Jane Eyre: Blog Response Ch:21-27 Question 1 and 3

*Question 1 and 3 are answered together*

Jane’s relationship with Rochester is a positive impact because Jane is in the process of learning what love is. Jane grew up in a heartless household and strict school. For the first few months of Jane and Rochester, Jane became brighter and had more energy. Rochester even describes her “look[ing] blooming, and smiling, and pretty” (Bronte, 262). When Rochester is not around Jane would feel down. Although she starts to let down her guard, her true personalities still holds strong.  Rochester is a very nice man who treats his lover with the best things possible.  He often tells her to dress pretty and wear jewels, so she could fit into the high-class environment. At a point she became terrified and self-protective.

Jane occasionally does not feel one hundred percent confident about the connection with Rochester while he was a way and she need to hear “him renew his words of love and promise” (Bronte, 261). I believe she needs that assurance because when she was younger her parents left her, and she worries that her love (Rochester) would leave her along all in a sudden.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdx0Zij3yLY2c9OjNGNgccVIT8RdbA-2ataLaFK8KTJuXiDDa14Hn-32qt1jLY6ofvjHoYo-63k0fWiiyNpsTVynw3_xNi24wGeZhDsNDCsy1Ykd20l1IlAgTxu0J_AFrsoRYYyMaYKg/s1600/YoungLove.jpg

I chose this photo because Jane has this obvious crush wit Rochester; she enjoys the little things that he does to her. For example, she enjoys Rochester calling her beautiful and such.

Responce to someone else's blog:
http://jessenglishblog.tumblr.com/

Blog #2 Response

http://englishpassione.blogspot.com/2010/09/reader-responsechapter-11-21.html#comments

I enjoy reading this blog post regarding the gothic elements and the role of the artworks. I agree on the different gothic elements referred into the story like romance and horror. I also believe the supernatural element also plays a big role, because of all the strange events that happened the Rochester household including the fortune teller gypsy. I also like your use of quotes in the response, good job!!!

Jane Eyre: Blog Response Ch:11-21 Question 2 & 5

2)

During the time when Jane was at Lowood School for her education she learned to toughen herself due to the environment surrounding her. Her transition to Thornfield was risky but well worth it because she was looking for a change and experience. After becoming a governess of Adele and socializing with Rochester I believe she enjoys her time during the stay. During the Victorian time period, women are supposed to educate the children, and basically being the “men’s” property. Jane did not fully fit into the ideal Victorian women because she is working for Rochester who is a less dominating man compared to other men during that time period. The characteristics that are most valued by her is her dignity and integrity. If anything goes against those characteristics she would not risk it. For example, she likes Rochester but she knows that he in a relationship with Blanche Ingram. It is hard to see the one you love is one someone else, but for her integrity she would not take the chance to become the third person. In the future I do not think she would change, because she has such strong beliefs and values and it must take a really shocking event to change her.

5)

The relationship between Rochester and Blanche seems like that they are very much in love and there connection could be shown during their game of charades. Blanche even states “I had learnt to love Mr. Rochester: I could not unlove him now” (Bronte, 188). Jane thinks that they are going to get married soon, however, their relationship does not appear, as it seems. From Blanche’s personality, she is selfish and cold, and she is only around Rochester because of his fortune and social status. Whereas, Jane feels more passionate and loves Rochester for the way he is, “at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong! He made me love him without looking at me.” (Bronte, 177). I believe that Rochester knows, Jane loves him but he makes her jealous by pretending to love Blanche. In the future I predict that they would be together for a while, and then possibly a third person might interrupt their relationship.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAO9ym6kmqmishPfomGOAQtzzN1ILAldBUav5UMe48EwCxZ4ZJ_91TSWQffzs5roReLyACvT16n_1HpH8oVjXDi4xeQCF-rDgx5e9xsotQFAzrq28TyzXJ1pqIFhVyXDtfmeSfTNjtT7Q/s1600/jealousy.jpg

I chose this photo because it represents the jealousy that Jane had when she saw Rochester and Blanche so close. Jealousy could be a good thing for Jane because tells her that her feelings for Rochester is real and not just a fling.

The Lady of Shalott: Personal Response Essay

“And the silent isle imbowers The Lady of Shallot” (Tennyson, line 17-18)

The Lady of Shalott written by an English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson in 1832. The poem is about the life of a cursed Lady who is trapped in the Tower of Shalott. She is unable to look out the window directly, although she is unaware of the curse she possesses, she seems to live happily in the tower weaving what she sees in the the reflection of the mirror. The elegant voice echoes cheerfully attracts locals “listening, whispers, “ ‘Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott” ”(Tennyson, line 35-36). Although it may sound like the Lady is untroubled, the loneliness and isolation from people made her desperate to look for someone who she could reach out to.

No one knows who this Lady truly is, but her isolation does not allow her to have contact with people beyond the brick walls of the tower. She weaves beautiful landscapes to keep herself busy, and from her signing, the reader can assume that she feels happy and trouble-free. However, deep inside she undergoes loneliness and boredom.  Being estranged from other people she is isolated from meaningful, even stating, “ "I am half sick of shadows," said The Lady of Shalott.” ”(Tennyson, line 71-72). For any human, no one would be able to handle such an enclosed environment. All the Lady ever wanted was companionship, comfort, and love.

When the Lady looked through the reflection of through the mirror she saw “A red-cross knight for ever kneel’d” (Tennyson, line 78), and a moment of desire came over her. From all the years of not knowing or experiencing what love was, to feel overwhelmed by it. “She left the web, she left the loom” (Tennyson, line 109)  in order to meet Knight, Lancelot. In desperation for love, she is even willing to sacrifice her life for it. As she stepped out of the Tower of Shalott she saw the world without a reflection and felt the wind with no walls. Not soon later the curse is activated and slowly kills her. Although the beautiful moments she dreamt of have not last long, but they still rejoices in the song as she dies.

The mirror symbolizes the censorship preventing the Lady to look out the window directly. The isolation and curse restricted her from having any contact with the rest of the society, therefore leaving her lonely and sad. On the day she steps out the tower, she loses innocence and discovers the beauty of the natural world. This story act as a parallel to some children with extremely protective parents. Many parents wants to put protective barriers around their children, so they do not rebel. However, doing this may have side effects because the child would lose the ability of socializing and interacting with others. The future of the child would not be good because the child could not connect with the rest of the world. Just like when the Lady first steps out of the tower, and the curse becomes active and kills her.

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in you years” (Abraham Lincoln). The Lady of Shallot, a story of a Lady longing for a connection with human beings brings out her will. The loneliness and isolation in the tower for so many years and weaving the same landscapes over and over leads her to depression and sadness. Discovering what the true life behind the walls that she was ignoring all the years made a worthy memory before her death.

Jane Eyre: Blog Response Ch-1-10 Question 1

My initial opinion of Jane is that she is a very innocent little girl who wants to be someone and tries really hard to please the people around her. However, her efforts does not match the expectations of her Aunt Reed. Jane Eyre's story is parallel to the story Cinderella, because her Aunt and cousins treat her very unfairly although she is part of the family just like Cinderella was the outcast of her family. Jane has conflicting feelings about this family because sometimes she hates being in the Reed household. For example, when her aunt is escorting her to the red-room she blurted "I will never call you aunt again as long as I live. I will never come to visit you when I am grown up; and if any one asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will say the very thought of you makes me sick. Although Jane is always being treated badly, she wants to prove to the world that she is more than a little puppet who is always being bossed around. When she discovered something called school and it is a big deal during the 1800s for girls,   it was her opportunity time to break out of her shell. From Chapter 1-10, we can determine Jane's personality is very strong looking at all the tough situations she has to go through. In the 1800s women are no longer men's "property" and they start to discover what life has to offer. Like Queen Victoria (http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishmonarchy/4678450991/) she learns how to use her powers and eventually even overpowers the men. Jane is discovering what she could offer to the world. With no one to rely on at the Reed household and dealing with the harsh environments at school, it shaped her into a stronger and independent person.
The first person narrative aspect helped developed this opinion because it allows the main character to speak from her perspective and truly understand her real feelings and her own logic.




response: http://ramblingsandrant.tumblr.com/ 

Janedeline's Goals in English 20

My 2 goals in English 20 this year is to strengthen my essay writing skills and stop procrastinating.