new day, new year

New Year is the time to unfold new horizons and realize new dreams, to rediscover the strength and faith within you, to rejoice in simple pleasures and gear up for the new challenges.

Wishing you a truly fulfilling 2011

of mice and men

5^th Journal

- Of Mice and Men -

John Steinbeck

Lennie Small is a big man but not very intelligent and too strong. He always forgets everything and really depends of George Milton – Lennie’s best friend and far smarter than him. They have a dream of their own farm but troubles are always followed them, especially for Lennie. In the end, George must do something to end all of the troubles, but it’s the saddest and hardest one.

Memorable quotation:

“No”, answered George. “You’ll always stay with me. We’re a family, Lennie” (p. 37)

It seems that George really loves Lennie as best friend but perhaps George also gets tired of nurturing Lennie all the time, especially Lennie has done many wrong things unconsciously because of his stupidity and he is too strong.

My comment:

According to me this story has deep implicit meaning even though it had been written in such a simple, funny, and light way.

Some new and interesting words from the story:

• Lennie’s name is Lennie Small. It is in contrast with his big body. I found it funny and interesting.
• I found new sentence that being repeated several times here:

“We’ll be live off the fat of the land”

Unfortunately, I could not find the exact meaning of it but from the context I figured out that they will be wealthy and prosperous farm owner.

the mysterious islands

October 13, 2010

4th Journal

- The Mysterious Islands -

Jules Verne

This is an adventure story of three men, a boy and a dog in a mysterious island. They worked hard to survive but here was always someone who helped them. The answer for many mysterious things was the famous Captain Nemo with his well-known Nautilus submarine!

Memorable quote:

“Before I die, please eat a last dinner with me” ... (p. 33)

Captain Nemo said the sentence when he was dying. He was a good man. I think it is so sad to know that he had spent years of his life in the submarine, alone, after his friends died, and after he lost the battle for his people.

My comment:

It is a good story. The author has his won beyond-imagination ideas about air balloon, mysterious islands, pirates, and submarine. But I think to know better about the story of Captain Nemo thus we should also read his other work “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea”.

Well, I expect a different ending for this story. For example, what about if Cyrus Smith and his dog – Tap – would rather stayed in the island instead of returned to America. If it so, I think I can imagine that it will be another thrilling adventure to tell.   

the long goodbye

October 10, 2010

3^rd Journal

- The Long Goodbye -

Raymond Chandler

This crime story has its American setting after the Second World War. The main character is Philip Marlowe, a private detective who should solve a murder case of his friend, a drunk named Terry Lennox – who had shot himself after confessing of murdering his wife. The detective would meet American gangsters, an influential millionaire, a famous writer and his blonde wife, etc. And Marlowe knew that the central figure was Terry Lennox himself.

Memorable quotation:

“I can be bought, Terry. You bought a lot of me. For a smile and a nod and a few drinks in quiet bars here and there. It was nice while it lasted. So long, pal. I won’t say goodbye. I said to you when it meant something, when it was sad and lonely and final.”

I’m really impressed about Marlowe and Lennox’s friendship. Although both of them are extremely different: Lennox chose his gangster world whole Marlowe chose the other side, the good one. They understand each other and respect one another but still they had chosen different path.

My comment:

      An unpredictable end.

      I think the author wanted to focus on psychological aspects, especially for many characters in this book.

Funny, or the author has his own sense of humor. For example in the sentence when Marlowe returned to his apartment and found two police detectives waited for him. “I went up and unlocked the door. You don’t shake hands with the police”.

the birthday of the Infanta

September 25, 2010

2^nd Journal

- The Birthday of the Infanta -

Oscar Wilde

This is the second short story I read from “The Young King and Other Stories”. Honestly, I got difficulty in interpreting the idea that wanted to be expressed by the author. According to me this story has such an implicit meaning. For example, there is an interesting and memorable quotation says,

The Infanta was angry, “In the future’, she cried, “I will only play with people who have no heart”.

In my own interpretation, this sentence has two meanings. First, it expresses the immature Infanta (who was the daughter of the King of Spain and was celebrating her 12^th birthday) who was really disappointed with her father’s cold attitude (after his wife passed away due to giving birth of Infanta) and also because of the dead of the ugly dwarf (whose heart was broken of realizing his ugliness). So Infanta said the above sentence because she lost a friend and even worse a toy. Second, it is a rare to hear a twelve-year-old child of sating those words. So, I think the author here wanted to say that we should have “heart” as a human in everything we do.

My comment:

I think this story delivers good moral message, too. For example, not to mock other people despite of their deficiencies, to care and love our children, etc. Unfortunately, according to my opinion this story is too heavy for the readers, especially the young ones. In other word, it is quite difficult to be understood literally.

The Young King

Actually these journals were written as one of my course assignment of "Extensive Reading". We should read a book a week and made a journal of it. The books were already fit to us as a second-language learner, or they had been made simpler. After reading we could write about the summary, our feeling when reading it, our comment, our difficulties while reading or even new words or memorable quotations we found.

I'd like to post one by one of my journals. And the first is:

September 24, 2010

1^st Journal

 - The Young King -

Oscar Wilde

This story is included in the book with the title of “The Young King and Other Stories”. It tells about a young king who was really fond of beautiful things, such as fine clothes and rich jewels. But after finding out the miserable things behind those beauties he knew something much more valuable. He learned about other people’s miseries that made him wiser. In the end of the story he was crowned by the greatest power of God Himself.

My favorite quotation is:

“Can happiness wear what sadness and pain have made?” said the king (p. 7)

It seems that the young king had already realized his mistakes, and he knew better that in this world there were not only fine things. And also, it tells us that we cannot sacrifice other people only for our wealth or benefit.

My comment is:

I think this story has a very meaningful moral message, especially for the young readers (and initially the author made these short stories for his sons as bed-story telling). It gives some examples of good and bad things. Although, as far as I concern, those examples are a little bit difficult to be understood by children, even too miserable ones, but they ever happened and still happen.

Where is the edge

This is the new upcoming single from the new Album of this Dutch band "The Unforgiving".

Lyric:

In the shadows it awakes the desire
But you know that you can't realize
And the pressure will just keep rising
Now the heat is on

Its too late, there is no way around it
You will see for yourself many times
In the end you will give up the fight
Its unescapable

'Cause you're losing your mind and you sleep
In the heart of the lies

Where is the edge
Of your darkest emotions?
Why does it all survive?
Where is the light

Of your deepest devotions?
I pray that it's still alive

It's the rule that you live by and die for
Its the one thing you can't deny
Even though you don't know what the price is
It is justified

So much more that you've got left to fight for
But it still doesn't change who you are
There is no fear you'll ever give in to
You're untouchable

'Cause you're losing your mind and you sleep
In the heart of the night

Where is the edge
Of your darkest emotions?
Why does it all survive?
Where is the light
Of your deepest devotions?
I pray that it's still alive

You can't stop yourself
Don't want to feel
Don't want to see what you've become
You can't walk away
From who you are
Never give in

Where is the edge
Of your darkest emotions?
Why does it all survive?

Where is the light
Of your deepest devotions?
I pray that it's still alive

Within Temptation - Where is the Edge

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Book and Movie Comparison

Actually this is part of my assignment for "Extensive Reading" course, but I think it's interesting to share my opinion about the book and the movie version:

1.      How are the stories in the book and movie the same? Support your answer with examples.

      The title is the same although it had been said that the movie was freely adapted from the book.

      The setting also the same, namely the early years of Boston, Massachusetts, when many England-born people came to built the town and brought the customs and religion of old England with them.

For example:

s         The new port, town and settlement.

s         Also in one scene when the Governor asked Hester not to wear too much laces, which it was one example about the loud voices and strong opinion of Englishwomen of those times.   

      The book and the movie tell about a woman named Hester Prynne who should wear a scarlet A letter on her bosom as a sign of “adultery” – a sign of sin.

2.      How are the stories in the book and the movie different? Support your answer with examples.

There are a lot of differences I found between the book and the movie. And I think the movie is totally different from the book, even the ending is different.

The following are some examples of those differences:

      In the book, it is opened with the story about Hester Prynne who was being released from the prison and brought her new-born baby.

In the movie, it is opened with the scene of the death and cremation of an Indian Chief named Massasoit.

      The book was told by a former port official who found an old wooden box consisted of a piece of red material in form of capital letter A and some old papers who told about a woman named Hester Prynne.

In the movie, it is Pearl who acts as the narrator of the story.

      In the book, it does not tell about how did Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale meet or how was their relationship before Hester Prynne being sent into prison.

In the movie, there are several moments of their meetings. For example when Arthur helped Hester to lift her horse-cart that stuck in the mud or when they had arguments in the church library.

      In the book, it was told that Hester sew herself the letter A and she did it in fine way, even the town women thought that “she is clever with her needle”.

But in the movie, there was someone who had made it to be worn by Hester.

      In the book, there are not any murders done by Roger Chillingworth a.k.a Roger Prynne. But in the movie there are two murders done by him to Mituba and Brewster. And even Roger Prynne hung himself; it is not mentioned in the book (Roger Chillingworth died several years after Arthur Dimmesdale’s death and he left his fortune to Pearl).

      In the book, there was no lines about Roger Chillingworth looked for the devil’s mark on Pearl’s body.

But in the movie Roger Chillingworth showed Pearl’s birthmark in a court and lifted the child, even called her the “devil’s child” or “the Satan’s child”.

      There was no war with the Indian people, but in the movie there was one.

      In the book, Pearl reached her age of 7 when Arthur Dimmesdale finally decided to confess. At this age Pearl was able to talk.

In the movie, Pearl was younger and even she could not talk yet.

      In the book, it is said that Arthur were sick of psychological problems, due to his guilt, and finally he was died after confessing that he was Pearl’s father and declaring his affection for Hester.

In the movie, Arthur did not look so ill. Even, it is a happy ending one. Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne are going to have a new happy life in another town, of course with Pearl.

3.      Are some characters described differently in the book compared to the movie? Do any characters act differently? Support your answer with examples.

      For the main characters, I think there is only slight different. Hester Prynne is described almost similar to the book. But Arthur is described a little bit different in the movie, where in the book he should be sick because of his guilt.

Hester Prynne acted differently in several scenes.

For example: In the book, Roger Chillingworth asked Hester Prynne not to tell about himself (about he was Hester’s husband) to her lover (Arthur Dimmesdale). But in the movie, Hester directly told Arthur that her husband was still alive and he was in danger.

      I found some characters that are not mentioned in the book. For example, Brewster, Johnny Sassamon – the Indian, Matuba – the mute slave, Metacomet – the son of Massasoit, Indian tribes, some women of Mistress Hibbins’s friends, and the boy with the drum who followed Hester everywhere.

      Roger Chillingworth or Roger Prynne acted differently in the movie, namely he killed people. However, in the book, it is only told that he acted as a doctor who tried to find the father of Hester’s baby. He did it in psychological way.

      In the movie also showed that Hester makes friend with Mistress Hibbins, however in the book Hester rejected the friendship offer. Even, Mistress Hibbins is not an important character in the book, but she has important role in the movie (she acted as friend, helped Hester when she was giving birth, and even Hester wanted to be hung together with her).

      Meanwhile Arthur Dimmesdale is portrayed extremely different in the movie. He does not look so guilty as in the book where he was really sick due to his guilt.

   

4.      Which version do you like better? Discuss what makes one version better than the other one.

Since the movie is so different from the book so I like the book better than the movie version. In fact, the movie has the drama side (and I do love drama!) and a story about love and a happy ending. However, the book tells more about the psychological and religious side. It tells about Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in their guilt of sin, in their struggle of love and God. The book tells more about the “scarlet A letter” itself and its meaning that time, hence it is suitable with the title. And it is not really described in the movie.

The book says more about many questions of sin, crime, suffering, and guilt. And I think it is the focus of the author, about the dark side of life. And according to my opinion, the movie cannot show that author’s aim.    

Further reading:

http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/scarletletter/