What it means to “Be Human”
“Julius Deane was one hundred and thirty-five years old, his metabolism assiduously warped by a weekly fortune, in serums and hormones” (12) - how could a human live to be one hundred and thirty-five years old? An average human would live up to their eighties or nineties. Very inhuman and out of the world today.
“…you can access live or recorded simstim without having to jack out of the matrix” (53) - being humans mean having private feelings and thoughts, but in this world, people can transfer feelings and sight from one person to another.
“ ‘hang on.’ He disconnected the construct. The presence was gone. He reconnected it. ‘Dix? Who am I’” (76)? - Dixie is ROM that forgets everything once unplugged, this goes against the nature of a human for once “brain-dead,” it cannot be reversed
“Then I’d ask what your terms were” (29) - like humans, we don’t do anything without an incentive
“pure mindless reflec: he threw the beer and chicken down and ran after her” (38). - similar to the fact that any of us would react the same if a love one is killed or hurt.
The matrix goes against the law of human, for human is a living being with a brain to help us function. However, the matrix, a non-being, forces the being to connect its mind to it by “jacking in” (51)
“What he imagines, you see” (87) - a human’s thought is very private, it is a nonhuman ability to project our thoughts to someone else to see
“She slid down around him and his back arched convulsively” (33) - like any other being, the sense of reproduction, basically sex, is an urge even in this future world.
“This scam of yours, when it’s over, you erase this god dam thing” (104) - it is a rather disturbing thing to find out that you are still alive but not alive as in having a growing body and a thinking brain instead of a machine. Dixie realizes that he is dead for some time and asked to be erase or deleted since being alive this way is not worth it.
“do you think he knows he was Corto” (91)? - Every human has his or her own unique personality but Corto has been molded to assume another’s personality.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Settings in "Neuromancer" by William Gibson
“The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel” (3). The “dead channel” is a channel of endless colors with sounds like a madness roar. As I read the first sentence of the novel, I would visualize the motions of the sky and the reflections to the raging city below it. The opening sentence not only sets the mood and setting of the novel, but it gives us foreshadowing images of what to come.
Gibson describes the setting of Ninsei as “beyond the neon shudder of ninsei, the sky was that mean shade of gray. The air had gotten worst; it seemed to have teeth tonight…” (16). The color gray is usually used for describing a situation or person to be depressed or shady, but adding the word “mean” to the description makes the image even more sharp and clear. The word “mean” shows that it is not just a shade of gray in the sky, it is a shade of gray that covers and hide the emotion under the color gray in the sky. Furthermore, the heaviness of the color created “teeth” in the atmosphere which can delivers a sharp feeling whenever people breathe because of the poor air condition. Thus sentence has the same elements as the first sentence of the novel; it gives off a rather depressing and sad feeling.
As I stated before, the first sentence also gives us foreshadowing images of what to come. Examples such as when Gibson describes the hotel, “The elevator smelled of perfume and cigarettes; the sides of the cage where scratched and thumb-smudged” (20) and “cold steel odor. Ice caressed his spine” (31). Images of darkness, coldness, sharpness, shadiness, and pain keeps popping up whenever Gibson tries to describe any certain setting in the novel. I believe this will occur quite frequently throughout the novel since the first couple of chapters reflect such dark elements.
Gibson describes the setting of Ninsei as “beyond the neon shudder of ninsei, the sky was that mean shade of gray. The air had gotten worst; it seemed to have teeth tonight…” (16). The color gray is usually used for describing a situation or person to be depressed or shady, but adding the word “mean” to the description makes the image even more sharp and clear. The word “mean” shows that it is not just a shade of gray in the sky, it is a shade of gray that covers and hide the emotion under the color gray in the sky. Furthermore, the heaviness of the color created “teeth” in the atmosphere which can delivers a sharp feeling whenever people breathe because of the poor air condition. Thus sentence has the same elements as the first sentence of the novel; it gives off a rather depressing and sad feeling.
As I stated before, the first sentence also gives us foreshadowing images of what to come. Examples such as when Gibson describes the hotel, “The elevator smelled of perfume and cigarettes; the sides of the cage where scratched and thumb-smudged” (20) and “cold steel odor. Ice caressed his spine” (31). Images of darkness, coldness, sharpness, shadiness, and pain keeps popping up whenever Gibson tries to describe any certain setting in the novel. I believe this will occur quite frequently throughout the novel since the first couple of chapters reflect such dark elements.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Final Draft
As the landscape outside my window is constantly moving, I wonder if the wind blowing, tree dancing, even the dirt swirling around has a part of God in them. It is a mystery if God runs with the wind or just watches over these little things in life such as dirt and trees. This led me to question if Mother Nature is a work of God or is Mother Nature a separate design altogether? In “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins and “Design” by Robert Frost, both poems explicitly use the texture and aspect of nature to conclude whether God’s essence lies within nature or is Mother Nature a God of herself?
As each culture believes in their respective Gods, Gods can represent an animal figure, human figure, or even an object figure. However, the best known definition of God is that God is a great being of force that manifested life in this world. Being that God is this great being who can basically control life, anything that God represent must give out a sensation of greatness and strength. Hopkins’ poem, “God’s Grandeur,” decides to portray the strength and greatness of God with the description electricity and thunder such as “charged,” “flame,” and” rod”; thunder is a nature-based element that means is widely used everywhere to represent greatness and strength. In order to persuade readers that a connection lies between God and Mother Nature, Hopkins uses nature-base terms to describe what and who God is. Doing this not only shows a connection to nature, but shows that nature is where God’s essence also lies.
However, instead of using nature-base terms to describe the strength of God, Robert Frost’s method is portraying the essence of God as little as possible. The only portrayal of the essence of God that Frost used is that he questions the existence of God in Mother Nature near the end of “Design,” this is where Frost mentions God as a design and that whether such a design could and would govern such things like the spider, moth and flower. This method barely makes the essence of God apparent but still faint enough to know that Frost is mentioning God. By barely mentioning the God or the essence of God in the poem, Frost did this purposely to encourage how God’s duty has a limit his or her duty.
The way Hopkins chooses words that describe God in the fourth line of “God’s Grandeur,” “The world is charged with the grandeur of God,” one would think that the world is God’s duty to protect and govern, but “charged” can also mean to energize. What is the meaning of this word “charged?” Does he mean that God is what makes the world go round? I believe that this is exactly what Hopkins is trying to say. The poem suggests that God is everywhere; he protects and energizes the world to allow us to continue to live and evolve. Other words that express the same meanings as “charged” are “flame” and “rod.” These words are also used to describe God as someone of greatness and richness, as previously mentioned. Such greatness is further described God as the “Holy Ghost” that will protect the world like a hen with its warm breast and bright wings. The metaphor of the hen protecting its egg under its breast and wings suggests that God will protect the world through every obstacles, plants, animals and humans alike. Hopkins’ poem not only suggests that God watches over humans, but God also watches over nature which can imply that nature is God’s design.
Frost’s poem proceeds in a different direction than Hopkins; Frost uses the horror side of nature instead of using nature to portray the strength of God. As the poem starts out, there is an image of a dimpled, fat and white spider that is like a baby who is fat, white with big dimples. The spider then hides itself in the white heal-all flower while waiting for a meal. The moth believes the white heal-all to be a safe place then fly over only to be capture by the spider. As we picture these images, the images are wrong and upside-down. The heal-all flower is said to be white, but heal-alls are usually blue in real life. The spider is portraying as an innocent baby but the spider turned out to be a “witch” that eats the moth like a “broth.” Spiders are usually associated with darkness, witch-related and spider-webs, but the word “white” forces the reader to picture the spider as a pure and innocent being. Even though the spider and heal-all are portray as innocent and pure, they are described as “death,” “froth,” and “blight” later on in the poem. These upside-down images that Frost describes, shows the terrifying side and trickery of nature. Frost questions such a horror design for nature, “What but design of darkness to appall?” Frost wants to show that God is a being of greatness and purity, he cannot make such a terrifying design in the nature world, and nevertheless could a design govern such small beings.
Hopkins and Frost both use nature as the focus point to conclude the existence of God in nature. While Hopkins believes that God is Mother Nature who watches over the world as he describes God as thunder and a hen which watches over its “egg” under its breast and wings as if God is nurturing the world. Frost believes that the terrifying design of nature is what makes him believe that God and Mother Nature are two different entities.
As each culture believes in their respective Gods, Gods can represent an animal figure, human figure, or even an object figure. However, the best known definition of God is that God is a great being of force that manifested life in this world. Being that God is this great being who can basically control life, anything that God represent must give out a sensation of greatness and strength. Hopkins’ poem, “God’s Grandeur,” decides to portray the strength and greatness of God with the description electricity and thunder such as “charged,” “flame,” and” rod”; thunder is a nature-based element that means is widely used everywhere to represent greatness and strength. In order to persuade readers that a connection lies between God and Mother Nature, Hopkins uses nature-base terms to describe what and who God is. Doing this not only shows a connection to nature, but shows that nature is where God’s essence also lies.
However, instead of using nature-base terms to describe the strength of God, Robert Frost’s method is portraying the essence of God as little as possible. The only portrayal of the essence of God that Frost used is that he questions the existence of God in Mother Nature near the end of “Design,” this is where Frost mentions God as a design and that whether such a design could and would govern such things like the spider, moth and flower. This method barely makes the essence of God apparent but still faint enough to know that Frost is mentioning God. By barely mentioning the God or the essence of God in the poem, Frost did this purposely to encourage how God’s duty has a limit his or her duty.
The way Hopkins chooses words that describe God in the fourth line of “God’s Grandeur,” “The world is charged with the grandeur of God,” one would think that the world is God’s duty to protect and govern, but “charged” can also mean to energize. What is the meaning of this word “charged?” Does he mean that God is what makes the world go round? I believe that this is exactly what Hopkins is trying to say. The poem suggests that God is everywhere; he protects and energizes the world to allow us to continue to live and evolve. Other words that express the same meanings as “charged” are “flame” and “rod.” These words are also used to describe God as someone of greatness and richness, as previously mentioned. Such greatness is further described God as the “Holy Ghost” that will protect the world like a hen with its warm breast and bright wings. The metaphor of the hen protecting its egg under its breast and wings suggests that God will protect the world through every obstacles, plants, animals and humans alike. Hopkins’ poem not only suggests that God watches over humans, but God also watches over nature which can imply that nature is God’s design.
Frost’s poem proceeds in a different direction than Hopkins; Frost uses the horror side of nature instead of using nature to portray the strength of God. As the poem starts out, there is an image of a dimpled, fat and white spider that is like a baby who is fat, white with big dimples. The spider then hides itself in the white heal-all flower while waiting for a meal. The moth believes the white heal-all to be a safe place then fly over only to be capture by the spider. As we picture these images, the images are wrong and upside-down. The heal-all flower is said to be white, but heal-alls are usually blue in real life. The spider is portraying as an innocent baby but the spider turned out to be a “witch” that eats the moth like a “broth.” Spiders are usually associated with darkness, witch-related and spider-webs, but the word “white” forces the reader to picture the spider as a pure and innocent being. Even though the spider and heal-all are portray as innocent and pure, they are described as “death,” “froth,” and “blight” later on in the poem. These upside-down images that Frost describes, shows the terrifying side and trickery of nature. Frost questions such a horror design for nature, “What but design of darkness to appall?” Frost wants to show that God is a being of greatness and purity, he cannot make such a terrifying design in the nature world, and nevertheless could a design govern such small beings.
Hopkins and Frost both use nature as the focus point to conclude the existence of God in nature. While Hopkins believes that God is Mother Nature who watches over the world as he describes God as thunder and a hen which watches over its “egg” under its breast and wings as if God is nurturing the world. Frost believes that the terrifying design of nature is what makes him believe that God and Mother Nature are two different entities.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Is God in Mother Nature?
As I gazed hypnotically outside my window, I wonder if the wind blowing, trees dancing, even the dirt swirling are God’s work or the work of another design. This lead me to a question, is Mother Nature a work of God or is Mother Nature a different design altogether? “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins and “Design” by Robert Frost, both poems explicitly use nature to conclude two different results dealing with the existence of god in nature.
By definition, God is a great being or force that manifested life in this world. Knowing this, Hopkins wants to show how strong God is by portraying God as electricity and thunder, a nature-based element that means strength. Initially when I read “The world is charged…of God,” I thought that the world is God’s duty, but “charged” can also mean to “energize.” Hopkins also goes on to find words relating to electricity such as “flame out,” “ooze of oil,” “shining” and “rod.” These words describe God as someone or something of greatness (“flame out”) and richness (oil). The poem then suggests that even when the light turns black, the “Holy Ghost” will be the protect the world like a hen with its warm breast and bright wings. Hopkins’ poem suggests that God is nature and God will always protect the world in a form of nature.
Rather than following the design of God like Hopkins‘ poem suggested, Frost’s poem proceeds in a different direction; he sees nature as a different design other than God‘s design. Frost’s poem paints images that are controversy such as the spider and the heal-all. The heal-all is said to be white in the poem, but heal-alls are usually blue in real life. And when we hear the word spider, we usually think of darkness, witch-related and spider-webs, but the words such as “white” and “dimple” force the reader to picture the spider pure and innocent. Even though the spider and heal-all are portray as innocent and pure, they are described as “death,” “froth,” and “blight” later on into the poem. Humans and these creatures are both different beings, but they follow the rule of never to judge a book by its cover and they all use similar trickery and objects. An example would be the spider is “holding up” the moth like a “rigid satin cloth,” this portrays an image of thievery and a coffin. Even if humans and creatures are similar to one another, Frost questioned why would God pay attention to such small things (“If design govern in a thing so small)? The way the poem questions God existence in nature makes it seems that Frost believes God and Nature are two different designs.
Hopkins and Frost both use nature as the main point to answer the existence of God. While Hopkins believes that God is Mother Nature who watches over the world in the form of wind, plants, soil, etc, Frost believes that God and Mother Nature are two different entity.
By definition, God is a great being or force that manifested life in this world. Knowing this, Hopkins wants to show how strong God is by portraying God as electricity and thunder, a nature-based element that means strength. Initially when I read “The world is charged…of God,” I thought that the world is God’s duty, but “charged” can also mean to “energize.” Hopkins also goes on to find words relating to electricity such as “flame out,” “ooze of oil,” “shining” and “rod.” These words describe God as someone or something of greatness (“flame out”) and richness (oil). The poem then suggests that even when the light turns black, the “Holy Ghost” will be the protect the world like a hen with its warm breast and bright wings. Hopkins’ poem suggests that God is nature and God will always protect the world in a form of nature.
Rather than following the design of God like Hopkins‘ poem suggested, Frost’s poem proceeds in a different direction; he sees nature as a different design other than God‘s design. Frost’s poem paints images that are controversy such as the spider and the heal-all. The heal-all is said to be white in the poem, but heal-alls are usually blue in real life. And when we hear the word spider, we usually think of darkness, witch-related and spider-webs, but the words such as “white” and “dimple” force the reader to picture the spider pure and innocent. Even though the spider and heal-all are portray as innocent and pure, they are described as “death,” “froth,” and “blight” later on into the poem. Humans and these creatures are both different beings, but they follow the rule of never to judge a book by its cover and they all use similar trickery and objects. An example would be the spider is “holding up” the moth like a “rigid satin cloth,” this portrays an image of thievery and a coffin. Even if humans and creatures are similar to one another, Frost questioned why would God pay attention to such small things (“If design govern in a thing so small)? The way the poem questions God existence in nature makes it seems that Frost believes God and Nature are two different designs.
Hopkins and Frost both use nature as the main point to answer the existence of God. While Hopkins believes that God is Mother Nature who watches over the world in the form of wind, plants, soil, etc, Frost believes that God and Mother Nature are two different entity.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Popular Culture Figures
The usage of a popular culture figures in poems, in my opinion, would be different from poems without popular culture figures. Popular culture figures are admired everywhere and if writers were to write about popular figures, then that would increase the level of interest that the reader will give to the poem.
“The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne,” by Bucky Sinister, is a poem that tells of an alternate world where Bruce Wayne, Batman, is poor; this means he cannot afford the Batcave, Batmobile and all the gadgets that makes Batman. Whenever we hear “Batman or Bruce Wayne,” we would think of a crime-fighting hero, intelligent level beyond an average human, and strength that can take more than a dozen men. However, Sinister’s poem portrays Bruce Wayne in a whole new light that we are not used to see Batman in. Due to this new light, our interest level increased and our mind will be more likely to start formulating questions and asking why, how, what? We see him as a hero, but the poem portrays him as a drunk. As the poem goes against our personal perspective of Bruce Wayne, it captivates the attention of the reader more because of the difference in perspective of the popular idols that we idolize.
I believe that poems with popular figures are more literary. Due to the fact that we are already familiar with the popular figure and know quite a bit about them, we can express more meaning in words than we would have done if a popular figure wasn’t there. For example, when Bruce “hobbles,” he usually hobbles because of fighting crime in the real world, so hobbling in the real world gives him dignity and pride for his wounds. However, now “hobbles” means being weak and poor.
Villanelle about “The Wolverine”
The dark past of the beast is dim,
but scattered across the mind,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
He, who is always prim,
will answer he is just fine,
the dark past of the beast is dim.
He, who believes will forever be grim,
finds a team who shows him kind,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
He follows them and they follow him like kin,
to fight those with heart as bitter as limes,
the dark past of the beast is dim.
He finds a place that is him,
even though it’s full of whine,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
Never giving up for his past is on the rim,
for his spirits will always chime,
the dark past of the beast is dim,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
“The Other Universe of Bruce Wayne,” by Bucky Sinister, is a poem that tells of an alternate world where Bruce Wayne, Batman, is poor; this means he cannot afford the Batcave, Batmobile and all the gadgets that makes Batman. Whenever we hear “Batman or Bruce Wayne,” we would think of a crime-fighting hero, intelligent level beyond an average human, and strength that can take more than a dozen men. However, Sinister’s poem portrays Bruce Wayne in a whole new light that we are not used to see Batman in. Due to this new light, our interest level increased and our mind will be more likely to start formulating questions and asking why, how, what? We see him as a hero, but the poem portrays him as a drunk. As the poem goes against our personal perspective of Bruce Wayne, it captivates the attention of the reader more because of the difference in perspective of the popular idols that we idolize.
I believe that poems with popular figures are more literary. Due to the fact that we are already familiar with the popular figure and know quite a bit about them, we can express more meaning in words than we would have done if a popular figure wasn’t there. For example, when Bruce “hobbles,” he usually hobbles because of fighting crime in the real world, so hobbling in the real world gives him dignity and pride for his wounds. However, now “hobbles” means being weak and poor.
Villanelle about “The Wolverine”
The dark past of the beast is dim,
but scattered across the mind,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
He, who is always prim,
will answer he is just fine,
the dark past of the beast is dim.
He, who believes will forever be grim,
finds a team who shows him kind,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
He follows them and they follow him like kin,
to fight those with heart as bitter as limes,
the dark past of the beast is dim.
He finds a place that is him,
even though it’s full of whine,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
Never giving up for his past is on the rim,
for his spirits will always chime,
the dark past of the beast is dim,
for the beast who acts on a whim.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Emily Dickinson - I dwell in possibility
In literature, dashes are use to form a separation or connection between two thoughts and to indicate that the thought is still unfinished.
In Emily Dickinson’s poem, "I dwell in possibility," she uses all kinds of dash to make the poem more like an endless thread of thoughts. In the poem, I believe the word “possibility” means the imagination world; the mind of a writer (since it mentions prose). Dickinson uses the dash to separate the reality she is living in and the world inside her head. The dash, in line two, precede a different sentence, but still relates to the first sentence, which she describes her imagination as a world where there are endless opportunities. As the poem continues, Dickinson uses the dashes to further relate factors that contribute to her imagination. Such factors is the chamber walls that represent strength that one cannot see the creativity of her ideas with just their eyes and a roof that holds a wild-animal sky that indicates her mind is restless. In the third stanza, she uses the dashes to list those who would want to obtain such a vast imagination and for the purpose of wanting such an imagination. And at the end of the poem, there is a very ambiguous dash. This makes the poem endless and I think that is what Dickinson was aiming for. The poem makes you conclude what will happen next in your own terms of creativity. Furthermore, due to the dashes, I believe the poem centered on the idea of imagination for how there seems to be no periods, commas, etc; nothing but dashes. Dickinson is telling us that we must use our imagination and that there is more than one way to write that is not limited to using periods and commas.
In Emily Dickinson’s poem, "I dwell in possibility," she uses all kinds of dash to make the poem more like an endless thread of thoughts. In the poem, I believe the word “possibility” means the imagination world; the mind of a writer (since it mentions prose). Dickinson uses the dash to separate the reality she is living in and the world inside her head. The dash, in line two, precede a different sentence, but still relates to the first sentence, which she describes her imagination as a world where there are endless opportunities. As the poem continues, Dickinson uses the dashes to further relate factors that contribute to her imagination. Such factors is the chamber walls that represent strength that one cannot see the creativity of her ideas with just their eyes and a roof that holds a wild-animal sky that indicates her mind is restless. In the third stanza, she uses the dashes to list those who would want to obtain such a vast imagination and for the purpose of wanting such an imagination. And at the end of the poem, there is a very ambiguous dash. This makes the poem endless and I think that is what Dickinson was aiming for. The poem makes you conclude what will happen next in your own terms of creativity. Furthermore, due to the dashes, I believe the poem centered on the idea of imagination for how there seems to be no periods, commas, etc; nothing but dashes. Dickinson is telling us that we must use our imagination and that there is more than one way to write that is not limited to using periods and commas.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
"Casbianca" (The boy who would not Flee)
The poem “Casabianca” by Felicia Hemans contains some explicit images in her poem. One of such image is the wind blowing the boy’s hair while he stands on the burning deck waiting for his father in the surrounding fire. However, the image that seems to dominate or stay constant throughout the poem is when the boy is standing on the burning deck, while people are trying to escape from harm, he is calling to his father to say the words so that he can leave the deck.
The first reaction of the boy is not running to a safer place, but to wait until the words telling him to leave come from his father’s mouth; he barely even moved a muscle even though fire is spreading around him. This image of staying and waiting for the response of his father shows faithfulness and obedience. The poem implied that the father told the boy to stay put until he was told to leave before the deck was caught on fire. Knowing that the boy would not leave without his father’s words, I believe the author is implying that faithfulness and obedience are a crucial part of life. We, humans, build our society by following the laws and rules; we are strong because of these rules. However, if we were to disobey and neglect the laws, then society and countries would not last. The civilized place where we once live peacefully will become a place of chaos and savages.
The reason why the boy would not budge from his spot is because he does not want to live knowing that he had disobey the person who raised him his whole live. Disobeying his father would be the same as betraying and abandoning his father. Children often believe that breaking the rule is fun and harmless, but how can we become the person that can tell what is right and what is wrong today by disobeying our parents and others? While people often feels that by disobeying, they are more independence as a person and that is a good thing. However, not only will disobeying cause yourself guilt, but disobeying will cause you to take a different path when everyone else is following another path. In other words, you will be isolated and alone from everyone else. This is what I believe the images of the poem “Casabianca” is showing.
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