Assignment #10-- Oedipus

Oedipus the King,written by Sophocles is a great play filled with tragedy and drama. Throughout the entire play there is a message being delivered by the relationships between sight, truth, ignorance, and darkness. It was told by the oracle that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother and have children. Being told such a horrible thing he decides to run away from his home to not commit such a terrible thing. On his way to another town he encounters some men who he kills. He ends up in Thebes and is smart enough to solve the riddle of the sphinx which ends up killing the sphinx. As a reward for such a great thing and knowing that the King is dead, the people of Thebes decide to reward Oedipus with the crown and the queen. They might have been extremely grateful but their ignorance in not questioning an unknown man lead them to suffer the consequences. As we all know Oedipus ends up fullfilling the prophecy of the oracle. After a plague hits Thebes in his desperation to save his people he calls in Tereisas which happens to be an old, blind man but known to be a holy prophet. Tereisas knows that Oedipus is the one accountable for what's going on. Eventhought Tereisas is unable to see he knows the truth. Unlike Oedipus who has a perfect vision but is ignorant enough to unfold his own reality. He is blinded by his own ignorance which throws him in a world full of darkness. I believe that this play is mainly trying to say is that darkness and ignorance can overshadow the truth. You might not be physically blind but spiritually blind.

Assignment #9

So far as a class we have read many poems and short stories. The latest one has been the play "Oedipus the King," by Sophocles. To many this play might lead to two conclusions: there's free will and the characters are just paying for the consequences of their actions or that you can't escape your fate regardless of what you do. Oedipus is the main character of the play who goes through a lot of tragic things. By trying to escape the prophecy that Oedipus had been told of killing his father and marrying his mother, he ran away from Corinth. On his way to Thebes he encounters three man which he ends up killing. After arriving Thebes he is asked a riddle by the sphynx which he solves and results in the sphynx dying. The people of Thebes rewarded him to be king of Thebes after word had been spread that the King Laioss has been murdered. He weds the queen and has children with her. Oedipus might have thought that by running away nohing bad would have happened but it was the complete opposite. So somehow he couldn't escape his fate no matter what he tried to do. The only thing is that if he had been told such prophecy then he should have been more careful about killing and old man and marrying an older women. Oedipus might have been smart at solving the riddle but he was blind and stupid at solving the riddle of his life.

Assignment #8--Poems

When analysing a work of literature readers often use may methods in order to gain a better understanding of the text. Formalist criticism, reader response, psychological, mythological, and gender criticism are some of the many forms of criticism. Each and everyone of these critical approaches can be used in different texts. In "Tell all the Truth but tell it Slant," by Emily Dickinson reader response criticism can be the best way to analyse this poem. Reader response focuses on what happens in the readers mind while interpreting te text. The reader's attitude, knowledge, experience and situation can influence how the text comes across. Since in this case I'm the reader, I will apply my experiences and situation to better gain insights o this poem. Emily Dickinson is basically trying to say that to tell the truth but to say it gradually so that way no one will go into shock. She suggests that if we go around circles, meaning to say it little by little, then we will be successful. I remember one time when I had to be honest and say the truth to my mom, and I decided to just say pieces of it one day at a time which at the end made my mom trust me and not be so upset.
Emily Dickinson uses children as a way to better explain why the truth should be told, but gradually. "As lightning to the children eased with explanation kind." As I was growing up my parents would sort of dress up the truth (mainly the bad ones) for me not to be so scared. Children don't have the capacity to understand why certain things happen in life. If we put our experiences, knowledge, or situation into the text then we understand why Emily Dickinson suggests we tell the truth but gradually.

Blog #7

Suheidy Pichardo
Professor Vasileiou
English 102
May 5 2010
Mythological Criticism

Criticism can definately be applied not only in a person's life but also in works of literature. Biographical, gender, mythological, psychological are among the many to fit the category of criticism. Many readers use this method as a way to gain better understanding of the text. After reading "cinderella" by Anne Sexton we can conclude that the poem is a different version of the Disney fairy tale that has been around for years. If we then apply mythological criticism, which explores common humanity, and the myths and what they reveal about culture, then we know Anne Sexton seeks to entertain an older audience. Not only is Anne Sexton exposing how man and women are viewed in culture, but how in life there really are no happy endings.
In "Cinderella" the role of different women is portrayed. The mother is known as the protector and loving one which is why in "cinderella" , Anne Sexton doesn't include a fairy godmother. The mother becomes the white dove that "whenever she wished for anything the dove would drop it like an egg upon the ground (page 629)." Clearly most of us see our mothers as the ones to care very deeply, and fullfil our wishes. The stepmother is completely the opposite of the loving caring mother . The stepmother is always considered to be the wicked one. "No cinderella, said the stepmother, you have no clothes and cannot dance. That is the way with stepmothers "(pg 629). Clearly the stepmother is viewed as evil since Cinderella is a poor girl who's the maid around the house. The step sisters are also shown as, "pretty enough but with hearts like blackjacks". (pg 628) Clearly Anne Sexton might be trying to warn us , about physical beauty accompanied by an ugly heart.
The role of man, and how they are viewed in culture, is also shown in this poem. Anne Sexton exposes to us how man are and their indifference towards women. Cinderella's father is not mentioned much throughout the story, only to note that after the mother dies he remarries. Clearly she feels that man don't get attached, but rather move on after there is nothing left. The prince, which plays the role for every man in Today's society, is shown as a man who doesn't really show interest in a women for her personality but rather for her appearance. If he would have paid more attention to cinderella's face, and not her body he would have saved himself all the trouble of finding her , through a shoe.
Not only do we see how man and women are viewed in a culture, but we also see how life truly isn't a fairy tale. People always want to dream of things, shifting away from reality. "From Diapers to Dior. That story "(pg 628) Clearly one day you're not poor and the next you are rich. "Cinderella and the prince lived, they say, happily ever after, like two dolls in a museum case, never bothere by diapers or dust, never ...."(page 630) In real life, married couples with children have to deal with takin care of their children's necessities and with the household duties. There is no such thing as never being bothered by those things.
Trough mythological criticism we can gain new insights on the poem "Cinderella" we know how life truly isn't a fairy tale.