The Godfather

I found the restaurant scene to be very suspenseful. It made me so nervous because I was unsure if Mikey was going to go through with the plan and if everything was going to work out like it was planned. When they started to talk in Italian, it made me suspicious as to what they were saying, and that scene also helped build the suspense. It was interesting how unsure Mikey seemed about talking in Italian, but then again he was just about to commit a murder, so he was probably pretty nervous anyways. The part when Mikey went to the bathroom to get the gun was so nerve wrecking. At first I thought he wasn't able to find the gun, which made me even more nervous. The whole set up of the scene in a little town, in a deserted restaurant, also made the scene more suspenseful. However, Mikey did play the murder very cool and hasn't gotten caught...yet.

The Godfather

So, what do you think about the movie so far?  Any questions?  What do you like about it?  What is confusing?  How do you see it fitting in with any of our summer reading? 

Oscar Wilde and Dorian Gray

So, what do you think about the biography of Oscar Wilde?  Does it give you some insight into our novel?

Out of all three required summer reading books I read this summer, I enjoyed Grendel the most because of the thoughts he had and the progression of his “evil side”.  Grendel was also my favorite character, because out of all the characters I read about, Grendel was the only one I sympathized with. The Picture of Dorian Gray had the most “action”; therefore, it was my favorite plot.  The Screwtape Letters and Grendel had a less traditional plot and instead focused more on the development of a character or the development of evil.  In my opinion, Grendel had the best setting and atmosphere because of the eerie and whimsical nature of the book.  The portrait of Dorian Gray that changed the more evil Dorian became was the most developed and obvious symbol that illustrated the horrible effects of sin.  I found all of the books fascinating because in all of my readings at Woodward, none of them have really had the purpose of displaying evil.  I am not saying all of them have had happy endings, but I believe the ideas of a tragedy are different than the ideas of a book that is “evil”.  However, I did not care for The Screwtape Letters, because I never got into C.S. Lewis’ style and language.  Other than some of the profound language in The Screwtape Letters, the thing that confused me the most was the relevance of the dragon in Grendel.  The dragon was the only character that I did not understand fully.  When it comes to being “emotionally involved” with a book, I related to Grendel’s character the most.  His confusion about his identity, the uncertainty of why he does certain things and his struggle to understand his place in the world is relatable to my own life in ways.  I can sympathize with the struggle to find who you are as a person and where you belong in the cycle of things. 

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight was amazing. Christopher Nolan is a genius. I am not sure how to discuss it without giving anything away :) therefore coach crook you need to go see it now so then we can discuss it!

Evil Movies

Thanks for your Evil Vents. Now, before we get to Othello, I  ask you to post or comment on movies you have seen lately that will relate to our class.  I am interested in the latest Dark Knight, which I have not seen.  So don't give things away!!! But you don't have to stick to The Dark Knight.  Thanks--CC

Summer Reading Vent

In my opinion, all of the summer reading books were relatively interesting, but if I

had to choose one, I would choose Dorian Gray. Maybe it’s because his story slightly

resembles a reversed Benjamin Button, or maybe it’s because a he was just a guy who

gave into temptation which most people can relate to. Also, I’m the kind of person

whose guilty pleasures consist of crime shows, lawyer shows, and more crime shows. So

even though he murdered Basil in the very ending part of the book, I kind of felt like

I knew all along that he was going to go crazy by using my television-given knowledge

of murders and crimes, and that kept me intrigued. Although most people saw Lord Henry

as good comic relief, my favorite character would have to be Basil. Basil is really my

kind of character because, even though Dorian treated him like an annoyance, you can

tell that from the moment Dorian changed until the moment Dorian stabbed him, Basil

wanted Dorian to get better. He saw that Dorian was going down a bad path and needed

help, whereas Lord Henry led him right to the welcome mat of the crazy shack. In my

opinion, everybody, no matter what kind of character, needs a friend like Basil.

Although he was a bit stubborn, he stuck to who he was, not who someone (Lord Henry)

made him believe he should be. For this reason, when Dorian killed Basil, someone who

would never turn his back on Dorian, it was clear to me that there was no hope for

Dorian to get better. All the lives that he ruined, or even ended, made me kind of

glad when he killed himself. As much as I would like to know what the book said, or

what the note said, I was really just satisfied that Dorian finally realized that even

though the painting kept him beautiful, it was a punishment. It kept him pretty, but

it made it so he could never escape his sins, but in fact, would be haunted by them.

In a normal world, a person makes a mistake and they get the advantage of learning

from it and moving on; however, Dorian chose to cheat the system, I

guess you could say, of growing old, so in return, he had to live with the memories of

every single sin until the day he died.