Venus in Furs

Venus in Furs was in interesting tale of men's desire. The display of mental and physical power is an intriguing thought. Because men are usually in power, Venus in Furs was different. It portrayed Venus and Wendy as the powerful icons. Venus, being a goddess has always had an amount of power. She is the goddess of futility and beauty. The story opens with a dream that the narrator has of Venus herself, dominating him and telling him what to do. He enjoys this attitude and is completely devoted to her. We see the same thing in Severin's story. He worships Wendy, and although she does not want to be involved in this kind of relationship at first, she begins to realize it is to her advantage. The text states, "Man is the one who desires, woman the one who is desired." This is a clear way of saying that a woman is a man's weakness. Even though the woman is put on a high pedestal in this story, the underlying thoughts that women try to take over men's roles is still there. Women are still "the bad guy". " Woman's power lies in man's passion, and she knows how to use it, if man doesn't understand himself. He has only one choice: to be the tyrant over or the slave of woman. As soon as he gives in, his neck is under the yoke, and the lash will soon fall upon him." It is encouraged to try and dominate the woman, but because the woman is just so darn sexy, it is hard for men to take over. And if they do not take action fast, women will surely beat them down.

Hurricane Sandy

I don't know if Sandy was the 'Queen of Hurricanes', but she sure took over New York City and New Jersey quickly. Her powerful winds, and high storm surges destroyed many homes and businesses, knocking out power for thousands. It beat New York City into they're houses, and beat some out.

My family and pets were evacuated from lower manhattan right before the storm hit. When we returned to our house, a massive mess met us.

The damage to New York was similar to the violent takeover of any king or queen. As my house was only 3 blocks away from the east river, the water came into our lobby and flooded our elevators. The building is still not fit to inhabit, and my family and dogs are staying with my grandmother in New Jersey. We are not sure when we will be allowed into our house again. 

Durring Sandy's siege, pictures flooded televisions and the internet, which horrified people all over the states. 

Presidents

The Presidential Candidates : As our modern monarchs

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 The presidential election is a time of fighting and conflict. Candidates are constantly trying to pull the other down. They lie, and make promises they plan to break, all to get elected in the end. I know in my family, there is a large amount of talk about politics, both within my immediate family, and with my relatives. Luckily I don't have any who fear Obama simply because he is black. This country is so preoccupied with race it is scary. it may be hard not to see race in this day in age, but it is easy to not let it matter.

It is easy to complain about the way our election system works as well. A bunch of old, white guys making decisions in a large room is not exactly the most settling thought. The lying and cheating that goes on is also not appealing. The electoral college is an old and long-standing way of voting, and America doesn't look like it is going to change any time soon.

A lot of creativity comes out of the campaign. Graphic design, political cartoons, comedy sketches, and video adds. They say politics brings out the worst in people, but sometimes it is just the opposite.

Macbeth

Perhaps popular among shakespeare fanatics (I couldn't say), the version of Macbeth we viewed in class was certainly a different way of looking at the play (compared to the main stream version we looked at in high school). The play harbors themes of power, guilt, and the supernatural. Perhaps visually unique, the play still didn't do it for me. The 'world war II-ish' costume was a choice I found random instead of helpful or intriguing. The movie 'Looked' like a play, with it's scene changes, and low-key sets, but was staged like a film. The witches (nurses) who open the film, although quite scary, did not convey the same message that the witches in the play. The witches in the movie were simply creepy, but did not strike me as 'Magical'.

Cleopatra

Cleopatra is an often-used monarch when talking about woman-rulers. Her rule was mighty, and firm, even though most of the monarchs of her day were men. She ruled because she was smart, not simply because she was pretty. In the article/essay, 'Becoming Cleopatra' the author decides to introduce race and symbolism into the world of cleopatra. The Author opens the essay by talking about a video involving Eddie Murphy, Michael Jackson. She speaks about the symbolism involved in the video. Then the author begins to read very heavily into race. She speaks about Cleopatra possibly being black and how this would 'Change' History. How publications would fight to have Cleopatra on their side, for an example of a successful icon of their race. Who cares if cleopatra was black? Except for records of science and perhaps a little of racial history. In the essay, the author explains that both white's and blacks play off of cleopatra's 'racial ambiguity'. It is true that no one REALLY knows what cleopatra looked like, but it is preposterous that one race is trying to 'Take' cleopatra as a point for their 'team'. Both 'White' and 'Black' culture is something that totally turns me off. I see culture as something that divides, rather than something that unites. If one becomes engulfed in "white culture" for example, than they are more divided than if they involved blacks in this culture as well. I agree that blacks and whites are different, but I dispose culture either way. I believe it excludes and divides.

Henry VIII

Henry VIII by William Shakespeare, can easily be related to any love affair of modern times. Although a bit more violent, jealousy and a lust for power are common traits in both Shakespeare's man and the modern man. Like most dramas of the today, this play displays a complicated web of dramatic relationships. Between Wolsey, King Henry, The Pope, Katherine, and all those under Cardinal Wolsey. There are many men in history that get bored with their wives, and there are some now labeled as 'Murderers' who have them killed. Henry is no exception. His secretive relationship with Ann is conflicted because of the relationships they have genetically, but Henry's mind overcomes this. Henry's royalty allow him to get away with many things that could have gotten killed had he been someone lower on the food chain. The power Kings and Queens possess in King Henry's day is almost absolute. This is a scary thought weather one is Queen Catherine, or a peasant of this day. This power is a large factor in what makes a king or queen. The fact that Henry is able to go against the pope's wishes shows that even though the(supposedly) highest being, or being closest to God, can be thwarted. The pope was a very important figure, and King Henry was simply able to thrust him aside.

Jumbo Himself!