In the plays first act, Cyrano de Bergerac expresses to his friend, Le Bret, that his plan is "To make myself in all things admirable." Cyrano is quite successful in accomplishing this throughout the rest of his life.
1) Cyrano is willing to protect Christian from harm upon Roxane's request even though he loves her and is envious of her love for Christian. He honours his word each time Christian his put in the way of harm.
2) Le Bret cleary has admiration for Cyrano when he describes him as "The best friend and bravest soul alive."
3) Cyrano displays courage, and admirable trait, in the first act on the night when he fights one hundred men by himself. Preceding this, he confronts Montfleury and is triumphant in his duel with the actor.
4) At the end of the play, as Cyrano is dying, he finally admits to Roxane his love for her. He is finally honest with her and is rewarded with requited love.
5) Cyrano helps Christian with his pursuit of Roxane. He gives him the words to say and helps him out when Christian tries to go it alone and fails. He risks his life everyday to deliver his letters from the war, written by Cyrano and signed by Christian.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Cyrano de Bergerac - The Acrostic
C - courageous. Cyrano shows courage when he fights against one hundred men and provokes Montfleury.
Y - young hearted. Cyrano's heart is young and inexperienced when it comes to love.
R- romantic. Cyrano is a poet who uses words to express his love towards Roxane. His words melt her heart.
A - addicted. He is addicted to writing Roxane letters and pretending to be Christian, the man she loves.
N - naked. Cyrano bears his whole soul within his letters.
O - oral. Words are his way of expressing himself.
D - debonair. Cyrano is a true sauve gentleman.
E - enchanting. The way Cyrano speaks of Roxane is enough to make any woman swoon.
B - blushing. He is ashamed of the length of his nose.
E - elegant. Cyrano is a man of privilege and a gentleman.
R - rich. His letters are rich with meaning and drip with affection.
G - grandiose. Cyrano's confrontation with Montfleury is impressive and pompous.
E- envious. Cyrano envies Christian's immoderate good looks.
R - remorseful. He regrets not being able to tell Roxane how he feels.
A - anonymous. The letters, which play a huge part in the play, are written by Cyrano, but he does not sign his name or admit that his words are truly how he feels.
C - charismatic. Cyrano is an overly boisterous man who enjoys putting on a show for whoever is watching.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Cyrano de Bergerac…What could have been?
1) What if Cyrano was confident in his physical appearance?
Perhaps if Cyrano had embraced his large nose he may have had the confidence to tell Roxanne how he felt earlier, possibly before she saw Christian. But even if he had told Roxanne his true feelings would they have been reciprocated by Roxanne? Roxanne always said that she always looked up to Cyrano as an older brother, a source for advice for her. The only reason that she fell in love with him in the play was because of the love letters that he wrote her under Christian’s name. Without those love letters Roxanne would probably have continued to view Cyrano as her older brother. With this knowledge of Roxanne’s feelings Cyrano would not have told her that he loved her because he was chivalrous and would not want to offend Roxanne or put her in an awkward situation.
2) What if Christian had both brains and beauty?
If Christian had both brains and beauty would he have been able to attract Roxanne and keep her love with the love letters that he would have been able to write himself? Even if Christian was smart and had caught the eye of Roxanne he would not have been able to write the love letters that Roxanne needed in order to know that she was loved. In order to write these letters that have the ability to move people to tears it takes great skill, a skill that some are born with, and others are not. Cyrano was born with this talent and thus able to help Christian, who was not, make Roxanne fall in love with him. But if Christian was smart would Cyrano have helped him, or even met him? Christian would probably have been enrolled at a university and not the army if he was smart, meaning that Cyrano would never have met him, even if he had caught the eye of Roxanne. Roxanne and Christian were never meant to be together, he was not able to write the love letters that she craved, even if he did have the brains.
3) What if Cyrano had told Roxanne earlier about the letters after Christian’s death?
After Christian’s death Roxanne mourns for fifteen years in a nunnery. Every week Cyrano visits her and tells her the news and current events going on. It took Cyrano fifteen years to tell Roxanne that he was the one who wrote those love letters to her under Christian’s name. If Cyrano had told Roxanne earlier would they have gotten married and lived a long, happy life? After reading the love letters written to her Roxanne fell in love with somebody, for fifteen years she thought that it was Christian, but upon hearing that Cyrano had written the letters her feelings changed. She fell in love with Cyrano. Unfortunately Cyrano died moments later and they were never able to live a happy life together. If, however, Cyrano had told Roxanne that he had in fact written those love letters to her, and had meant every word of them they would have ended up marrying and living happily ever after.
Kelsey Mills
Perhaps if Cyrano had embraced his large nose he may have had the confidence to tell Roxanne how he felt earlier, possibly before she saw Christian. But even if he had told Roxanne his true feelings would they have been reciprocated by Roxanne? Roxanne always said that she always looked up to Cyrano as an older brother, a source for advice for her. The only reason that she fell in love with him in the play was because of the love letters that he wrote her under Christian’s name. Without those love letters Roxanne would probably have continued to view Cyrano as her older brother. With this knowledge of Roxanne’s feelings Cyrano would not have told her that he loved her because he was chivalrous and would not want to offend Roxanne or put her in an awkward situation.
2) What if Christian had both brains and beauty?
If Christian had both brains and beauty would he have been able to attract Roxanne and keep her love with the love letters that he would have been able to write himself? Even if Christian was smart and had caught the eye of Roxanne he would not have been able to write the love letters that Roxanne needed in order to know that she was loved. In order to write these letters that have the ability to move people to tears it takes great skill, a skill that some are born with, and others are not. Cyrano was born with this talent and thus able to help Christian, who was not, make Roxanne fall in love with him. But if Christian was smart would Cyrano have helped him, or even met him? Christian would probably have been enrolled at a university and not the army if he was smart, meaning that Cyrano would never have met him, even if he had caught the eye of Roxanne. Roxanne and Christian were never meant to be together, he was not able to write the love letters that she craved, even if he did have the brains.
3) What if Cyrano had told Roxanne earlier about the letters after Christian’s death?
After Christian’s death Roxanne mourns for fifteen years in a nunnery. Every week Cyrano visits her and tells her the news and current events going on. It took Cyrano fifteen years to tell Roxanne that he was the one who wrote those love letters to her under Christian’s name. If Cyrano had told Roxanne earlier would they have gotten married and lived a long, happy life? After reading the love letters written to her Roxanne fell in love with somebody, for fifteen years she thought that it was Christian, but upon hearing that Cyrano had written the letters her feelings changed. She fell in love with Cyrano. Unfortunately Cyrano died moments later and they were never able to live a happy life together. If, however, Cyrano had told Roxanne that he had in fact written those love letters to her, and had meant every word of them they would have ended up marrying and living happily ever after.
Kelsey Mills
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Our Top 5 Grand Gestures Performed by Cyrano de Bergerac
1) In the opening scene of the play we are introduced to Cyrano in a grand way as he publicly criticizes Mont Fleury, the leading character in that evenings play. Cyrano believes no one should have to witness his terrible acting, so he successfully shuts down the play that so many people were looking forward to seeing that night. Cyrano believes he has done the audience a favor by sparing them Mont Fleury’s acting however he can see the crowd becomes restless as they paid good money to see a show that night. When he realizes this Cyrano personally reimburses every audience member for their ticket, this is a small sacrifice for Cyrano as he would rather give away money than watch such horrible acting.
2) Cyrano single handedly fights off a hundred angry men and lives to tell about it, and each time he does the story becomes more grand than the story told before.
3) One of the grandest gestures performed by Cyrano is the bargain he makes with Christian to help him win over Roxanne despite his own love for her. He diligently writes letters and poems expressing Christian’s love for her when it is truly the love he feels for her. They work together to use the perfect combination of Christian’s good looks and Cyrano’s romantic wit to sweep Roxanne of her feet and fall deeply in love with Christian.
4) While away at war Cyrano risks his own life everyday crossing enemy lines to send love letters in the name of Christian to Roxanne. Before heading off to war Cyrano promises Roxanne he will take care of Christian, this grand gesture demonstrates his true love for her as he is willing to sacrifice his own life to keep his word to Roxanne.
5) Following the death of Christian Roxanne spends fifteen years in mourning all alone at a convent. In attempt to cure her loneliness Cyrano visits the convent every week of those fifteen years. During this time he never lets on that the man who wrote those letters whom Roxanne fell in love with was actually Cyrano until they are his last dying words.
2) Cyrano single handedly fights off a hundred angry men and lives to tell about it, and each time he does the story becomes more grand than the story told before.
3) One of the grandest gestures performed by Cyrano is the bargain he makes with Christian to help him win over Roxanne despite his own love for her. He diligently writes letters and poems expressing Christian’s love for her when it is truly the love he feels for her. They work together to use the perfect combination of Christian’s good looks and Cyrano’s romantic wit to sweep Roxanne of her feet and fall deeply in love with Christian.
4) While away at war Cyrano risks his own life everyday crossing enemy lines to send love letters in the name of Christian to Roxanne. Before heading off to war Cyrano promises Roxanne he will take care of Christian, this grand gesture demonstrates his true love for her as he is willing to sacrifice his own life to keep his word to Roxanne.
5) Following the death of Christian Roxanne spends fifteen years in mourning all alone at a convent. In attempt to cure her loneliness Cyrano visits the convent every week of those fifteen years. During this time he never lets on that the man who wrote those letters whom Roxanne fell in love with was actually Cyrano until they are his last dying words.
3 Themes in Cyrano De Bergerac
Generosity without thought of payment.
- Cyrano loves Roxane, and even when she tells him she is in love with another man, he still acts as the close friend he always has been. He goes out of his way numerous times to protect the man Roxane loves.
- At first when Cyrano writes the love letters for Christian to give to Roxane, there is absolutly no credit or payment for him, even though he is the true author of the poetry. He risks his life many times a day to deliver these letters that are supposedly from Christian during the war.
- Cyrano puts himself in harms way to fight off the 100 men that are waiting to attack Ligniere, because Cyrano believes he writes witty poetry. Again, he expects nothing of a reward.
- Until the very last scene, Cyrano hides his love for Roxane in memory of Christian, even though he knows it was his own soul that Roxane was really in love with. He could have had Roxane for himself soon after Christian died, but he was too much of a good friend and a gentleman to reveal their scheme.
Loving an idea rather than a person.
- Roxane is unknowingly in love with the idea of this 'perfect man' that Cyrano and Christian have made, and in reality is completly fictional.
- Cyrano loves Roxane, but after he realizes that she loves someone else, he romances with her on his own through letters that she thinks are written by someone else. When he is writing his letters, he probably gets lost in the idea of Roxane loving him. It is fair to say that he is in love with the idea of the romance between himself and Roxane.
- Comte De Guiche also expierances this theme when he himself realizes he is in love with Roxane. Since he is already married, he uses the same approach that Cyrano does - tries to live out his romance through another person. In this case, De Guiche tries to get Roxane to marry one of his friends (Valvert, I think).
Characters' responses to different situations.
- Cyrano is a very calm and collected man, and is able to think quickly to respond to any difficult times that he might come across. For instance, when he is told that he must immediatly stall De Guiche while Christian and Roxane are getting married, he comes up with a scheme that no one else could have imagined. He is able to think and communicate effectivly on the fly, and this shows he is a very intelligent and creative character.
- After the death of her husband, Christian, Roxane feels that she can no longer love another man. She moves into a nunnery, and continues her life without much excitement for the following 15 years. Roxane is not necessarily strong in times of hardship, and feels she does not have to courage to move forward with her life.
- Even though Christian is not very smart, he proves that he can respond honeslty when faced with a tough decision. When he learns that Roxane loves the poetry more that Christians good looks, he feels obliged to tell her the truth even though it would mean the end of his romance with Roxane.
- Cyrano loves Roxane, and even when she tells him she is in love with another man, he still acts as the close friend he always has been. He goes out of his way numerous times to protect the man Roxane loves.
- At first when Cyrano writes the love letters for Christian to give to Roxane, there is absolutly no credit or payment for him, even though he is the true author of the poetry. He risks his life many times a day to deliver these letters that are supposedly from Christian during the war.
- Cyrano puts himself in harms way to fight off the 100 men that are waiting to attack Ligniere, because Cyrano believes he writes witty poetry. Again, he expects nothing of a reward.
- Until the very last scene, Cyrano hides his love for Roxane in memory of Christian, even though he knows it was his own soul that Roxane was really in love with. He could have had Roxane for himself soon after Christian died, but he was too much of a good friend and a gentleman to reveal their scheme.
Loving an idea rather than a person.
- Roxane is unknowingly in love with the idea of this 'perfect man' that Cyrano and Christian have made, and in reality is completly fictional.
- Cyrano loves Roxane, but after he realizes that she loves someone else, he romances with her on his own through letters that she thinks are written by someone else. When he is writing his letters, he probably gets lost in the idea of Roxane loving him. It is fair to say that he is in love with the idea of the romance between himself and Roxane.
- Comte De Guiche also expierances this theme when he himself realizes he is in love with Roxane. Since he is already married, he uses the same approach that Cyrano does - tries to live out his romance through another person. In this case, De Guiche tries to get Roxane to marry one of his friends (Valvert, I think).
Characters' responses to different situations.
- Cyrano is a very calm and collected man, and is able to think quickly to respond to any difficult times that he might come across. For instance, when he is told that he must immediatly stall De Guiche while Christian and Roxane are getting married, he comes up with a scheme that no one else could have imagined. He is able to think and communicate effectivly on the fly, and this shows he is a very intelligent and creative character.
- After the death of her husband, Christian, Roxane feels that she can no longer love another man. She moves into a nunnery, and continues her life without much excitement for the following 15 years. Roxane is not necessarily strong in times of hardship, and feels she does not have to courage to move forward with her life.
- Even though Christian is not very smart, he proves that he can respond honeslty when faced with a tough decision. When he learns that Roxane loves the poetry more that Christians good looks, he feels obliged to tell her the truth even though it would mean the end of his romance with Roxane.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Christian and Cyrano's Bargain
Both Cyrano and Christian have an undying love for Roxane. Yet Roxane loves only parts of each of them – Christian’s good looks and Cyrano’s touching soul. Obviously having both is not an option. This triggers Cyrano’s brilliant idea of combining his and Christian’s strengths and making the ‘perfect man’. They each fill each other’s voids and by doing so hopefully win over Roxane’s heart. The result of this ploy is ever changing, and by no means successful.
Christian benefits from the bargain at first. He gets all of Roxane’s physical attention, and eventually ends up marrying her. Because of Cyrano, he gets to pursue this romance that he would have otherwise had no chance with, having the simple mind that he does. Later on, however, he realizes that it is the poetry that Roxane is really in love with. He feels as if he has no more to offer the relationship, and would have revealed the truth to Roxane had it not been for his tragic death.
In the first few scenes of the perfect romance between Cyrano, Christian, and Roxane, it appears as though Cyrano has short end of the deal. He is doing much, if not all, of the work and receiving very little credit. He is even forced to wait outside in the rain while Christian and Roxane are kissing on the balcony. Things start to look up for Cyrano after they go to war, when he realizes that Roxane loves his letters more than Christian’s charming looks. Even though he is not credited for the work, he has the personal satisfaction that he himself is able to win over Roxane.
By acting as 2 parts a perfect partner, both Christian and Cyrano benefit and fail from the bargain at different times. It is fair to say that they both play an important role – Christian captured her first love and attention and Cyrano kept the love strong and lasting. Neither of them could have carried out the romance without the help of each other. It works out for both men, just in different ways and at different times.
Our Top 5 Themes in Night-Unfinished
1) The effects of adversity on the human spirit.
a) "From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back at me."
After so much hardship and adversity, Elie Wiesel is unable to see himself as a really, living person. All he sees is a corpse, he died from the inside out.
b) While the were in the cattle carts being shipped to a new camp, bread was thrown into the carts and the people were fighting for it 'til the death. A man was able to get a large piece and crawl away, having some for himself and for his son. His son then steals all the bread, even the piece already in his father's mouth and ends up killing his father. The adversity causes him to think only of himself and of staying alive. He is even willing to kill his own father to achieve this.
c) When Moshe the Beadle returned after his deportation, "there was no longer any joy in his eyes. He no longer sang. He no longer talked to me of God or the cabbala, but only of what he had seen."
2)The role that self-preservation plays when individuals respond to competing demands.
a) The young man who stole his father's bread and killed him on the cattle cart.
b) Elie struggles with whether or not to give his father his ration, or to take his father's ration for himself.
c) Towards the end, everyone is laying on top of each other, sleeping, Elie has to scratch his way out of a pile of bodies, either dead, alive or dying. He was running out of air and crushing his friend, Juliek.
a) "From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back at me."
After so much hardship and adversity, Elie Wiesel is unable to see himself as a really, living person. All he sees is a corpse, he died from the inside out.
b) While the were in the cattle carts being shipped to a new camp, bread was thrown into the carts and the people were fighting for it 'til the death. A man was able to get a large piece and crawl away, having some for himself and for his son. His son then steals all the bread, even the piece already in his father's mouth and ends up killing his father. The adversity causes him to think only of himself and of staying alive. He is even willing to kill his own father to achieve this.
c) When Moshe the Beadle returned after his deportation, "there was no longer any joy in his eyes. He no longer sang. He no longer talked to me of God or the cabbala, but only of what he had seen."
2)The role that self-preservation plays when individuals respond to competing demands.
a) The young man who stole his father's bread and killed him on the cattle cart.
b) Elie struggles with whether or not to give his father his ration, or to take his father's ration for himself.
c) Towards the end, everyone is laying on top of each other, sleeping, Elie has to scratch his way out of a pile of bodies, either dead, alive or dying. He was running out of air and crushing his friend, Juliek.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Top 5 Motifs in Night and The Pianist
MOTIFS FOR THE PIANIST
- The Wall: The relocation of Vladyslaw's family is the first time that the dreaded brick wall comes into the story. It is essentially the barrier between the 'normal' German society and the 'scum' Jewish society. It separates dullness and color, wealth and poverty, and what race is accepted and what race is not. Later on, after the Jews are deported to the concentration camps and Vladyslaw is left behind, he escapes the Jewish slave labour and crosses the brick wall. He now lives with the Aryan Germans, on the other side. However, he is living in such fear of being caught, that it is not much better than the side he was originally on. He says sometimes he doesn’t really know what side he is on at all.
- Kindness in society: Although the story is incredibly disturbing in many ways, I found that it left me with a very strong sense of humanity. The first big case of this that we see is when Vladyslaw is saved from the deportation by the police officer. He, by all means, did not have to do this, and was the reason that Vladyslaw was still living after the holocaust. His German friends who found him houses after his escape also showed amazing generosity. SS officers would have very likely killed them for hiding a Jew. Lastly, the act that showed the greatest amount of benevolence was the German officer that discovered Vladyslaw living in the deserted ghetto. He could have been shot right on the spot, but instead the officer talks to him, and then listens to him play the piano. Soon after, the officer brings him back bread, jam, a can opener, and gave him his jacket. If human kindness had a form, I believe this would be it.
- Things that are otherwise taken for granted: There are endless examples of things that he and his family took for granted before the holocaust. These include: family and friends, warm shelter (including beds and couches), safe shelter, food, bathing and cleanliness, warm clothing, etc. We see Vladyslaw without these essential things for almost the entirety of the movie. Which leads to the next motif…
- Resourcefulness: Due to the fact that Vladyslaw is a Jew hiding in the streets of heavily guarded Warsaw, he is constantly being put in hard situations and is forced to deal with them to the best of his ability. When he is working in the Jew slave camp, he manages to sneak guns into the camp for the rebel force. Later on , after he manages to find places to reside for the time being, he finds himself in a desperate search for any food and water. In the deserted hospital, he is able to drink some of the gross looking bucket water, and manages to find a few scraps of food and cooks it over a fire he made. Even in his harsh situation, he is able to keep himself clothed, fed, and alive.
- Loneliness: Vladyslaw originally didn’t want to be left by himself back in Warsaw, without his family. We can see this because when he was pulled out of the crowd, he panics and tries to reconnect with his family (without success). He finds some friends first in the Jew slave camp, though his closest friend is shot in the head by an SS officer. He also finds friends outside of the ghetto, after his escape, who provide him with temporary shelter. These people also leave the city soon after. He is left completely alone. This is perfectly illustrated in the movie when he leaves the hospital and crosses the wall to the ghettos - it is like he is walking through a deserted ghost town.
MOTIFS FOR NIGHT
- Faith: the book starts with Elie talking about his exploration of religion as a 12 year old. He is enthralled with the mysticisms of the Jewish religion, and prays many times a day. Until Moshe the Beadle comes back from his deportation, telling the town about the horrors that are to come, he would put all of his known faith in his God. After that, however, his assurance in religion starts to deteriorate. After being moved to the ghettos, all of the towns people pray that things will be okay. Things get worse. After being informed that they are to be deported, they pray that it will not be bad. Things get even worse. Once they are put into trains and
- The impact of a few words: The first phrase that drastically changes Elie's was "Men to the left, women to the right". It meant the separation of him and his mother and sisters for the rest of his life. After being beaten by Idek, the young French girl comforts his and tells Elie that he should just hold on. This was very meaningful to him; it was almost like a light in amidst the darkness of the situation. Another time, similar to this one, was when the head of the block told the Jews to help each other and never give up. They were all in great need of reassurance, and these few words provided just a little bit of comfort for the prisoners.
- Silence: the silence/abandoning of the Jews by God. God was silent in the horrors of the Holocaust. The silence of the night that they experience at the camps, and how the prisoners must stay silent to avoid any punishment by the camp guards. They are also silent to each other as time in the camp passes. Instead of standing up for one another, they try to make themselves invisible. This comes up in the scene where his father dies, as his father is being beaten to death, he lays in silence, as to keep himself from being beaten as well.
- Father and Son relationships: when they first arrive at Birkenau, their main goal is to stay together. Elie says he could not imagine what would happen had they been separated. They share a very tight bond throughout the rest of the concentration camp, so much so that he states that his father is the only reason that he is still living, even amongst many fouled relationships. There were many cases, including Rabbi Eliahou's son intentionally losing his father in the run, and another son killing his father for bread on the train, that show the devastation that the concentration camps have done to these son's. In the end, Elie's relationship with his father ended tragically, as his father was beaten to death and his son did nothing to stop it.
- Wishful thinking: when the Nazi soldiers first inhabit Sighet, everyone is fairly optimistic - one lady even tells people one soldier gave her a gift. People still try to think the best after they are moved into ghettos, and even when they are beginning to be deported. Everyone is wary, but tell each other (and themselves) that everything will be okay. When the soldiers split up Elie and his mother and sisters, his father tells him that they are big girls and that they will be just fine. Another case of wishful thinking is when they are being moved camps, people always say the next one will be better.
- The Wall: The relocation of Vladyslaw's family is the first time that the dreaded brick wall comes into the story. It is essentially the barrier between the 'normal' German society and the 'scum' Jewish society. It separates dullness and color, wealth and poverty, and what race is accepted and what race is not. Later on, after the Jews are deported to the concentration camps and Vladyslaw is left behind, he escapes the Jewish slave labour and crosses the brick wall. He now lives with the Aryan Germans, on the other side. However, he is living in such fear of being caught, that it is not much better than the side he was originally on. He says sometimes he doesn’t really know what side he is on at all.
- Kindness in society: Although the story is incredibly disturbing in many ways, I found that it left me with a very strong sense of humanity. The first big case of this that we see is when Vladyslaw is saved from the deportation by the police officer. He, by all means, did not have to do this, and was the reason that Vladyslaw was still living after the holocaust. His German friends who found him houses after his escape also showed amazing generosity. SS officers would have very likely killed them for hiding a Jew. Lastly, the act that showed the greatest amount of benevolence was the German officer that discovered Vladyslaw living in the deserted ghetto. He could have been shot right on the spot, but instead the officer talks to him, and then listens to him play the piano. Soon after, the officer brings him back bread, jam, a can opener, and gave him his jacket. If human kindness had a form, I believe this would be it.
- Things that are otherwise taken for granted: There are endless examples of things that he and his family took for granted before the holocaust. These include: family and friends, warm shelter (including beds and couches), safe shelter, food, bathing and cleanliness, warm clothing, etc. We see Vladyslaw without these essential things for almost the entirety of the movie. Which leads to the next motif…
- Resourcefulness: Due to the fact that Vladyslaw is a Jew hiding in the streets of heavily guarded Warsaw, he is constantly being put in hard situations and is forced to deal with them to the best of his ability. When he is working in the Jew slave camp, he manages to sneak guns into the camp for the rebel force. Later on , after he manages to find places to reside for the time being, he finds himself in a desperate search for any food and water. In the deserted hospital, he is able to drink some of the gross looking bucket water, and manages to find a few scraps of food and cooks it over a fire he made. Even in his harsh situation, he is able to keep himself clothed, fed, and alive.
- Loneliness: Vladyslaw originally didn’t want to be left by himself back in Warsaw, without his family. We can see this because when he was pulled out of the crowd, he panics and tries to reconnect with his family (without success). He finds some friends first in the Jew slave camp, though his closest friend is shot in the head by an SS officer. He also finds friends outside of the ghetto, after his escape, who provide him with temporary shelter. These people also leave the city soon after. He is left completely alone. This is perfectly illustrated in the movie when he leaves the hospital and crosses the wall to the ghettos - it is like he is walking through a deserted ghost town.
MOTIFS FOR NIGHT
- Faith: the book starts with Elie talking about his exploration of religion as a 12 year old. He is enthralled with the mysticisms of the Jewish religion, and prays many times a day. Until Moshe the Beadle comes back from his deportation, telling the town about the horrors that are to come, he would put all of his known faith in his God. After that, however, his assurance in religion starts to deteriorate. After being moved to the ghettos, all of the towns people pray that things will be okay. Things get worse. After being informed that they are to be deported, they pray that it will not be bad. Things get even worse. Once they are put into trains and
- The impact of a few words: The first phrase that drastically changes Elie's was "Men to the left, women to the right". It meant the separation of him and his mother and sisters for the rest of his life. After being beaten by Idek, the young French girl comforts his and tells Elie that he should just hold on. This was very meaningful to him; it was almost like a light in amidst the darkness of the situation. Another time, similar to this one, was when the head of the block told the Jews to help each other and never give up. They were all in great need of reassurance, and these few words provided just a little bit of comfort for the prisoners.
- Silence: the silence/abandoning of the Jews by God. God was silent in the horrors of the Holocaust. The silence of the night that they experience at the camps, and how the prisoners must stay silent to avoid any punishment by the camp guards. They are also silent to each other as time in the camp passes. Instead of standing up for one another, they try to make themselves invisible. This comes up in the scene where his father dies, as his father is being beaten to death, he lays in silence, as to keep himself from being beaten as well.
- Father and Son relationships: when they first arrive at Birkenau, their main goal is to stay together. Elie says he could not imagine what would happen had they been separated. They share a very tight bond throughout the rest of the concentration camp, so much so that he states that his father is the only reason that he is still living, even amongst many fouled relationships. There were many cases, including Rabbi Eliahou's son intentionally losing his father in the run, and another son killing his father for bread on the train, that show the devastation that the concentration camps have done to these son's. In the end, Elie's relationship with his father ended tragically, as his father was beaten to death and his son did nothing to stop it.
- Wishful thinking: when the Nazi soldiers first inhabit Sighet, everyone is fairly optimistic - one lady even tells people one soldier gave her a gift. People still try to think the best after they are moved into ghettos, and even when they are beginning to be deported. Everyone is wary, but tell each other (and themselves) that everything will be okay. When the soldiers split up Elie and his mother and sisters, his father tells him that they are big girls and that they will be just fine. Another case of wishful thinking is when they are being moved camps, people always say the next one will be better.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Our Top Five Themes from The Pianist
1) Circumstances that compel us to respond.
a) The scene when the German officer lines up the Jews and picks about seven out of the group, tells then to lay down, and successfully shoots each in the head. The last man is forced to await his death as the officer takes his time and refills his gun.
b) Near the end of the film, Poland is liberated, but the soldiers see Wladyslaw Spzilman in a German coat and begin to shoot at him.
c) The first night of clear Jewish oppression, a man in a wheelchair is heaved over the balcony because he is unable to stand in the presence of the German soldiers.
2)Personal Resourcefulness.
a) The scene where Wladyslaw goes to the abandoned German hospital, in the centre of the "Lion's Den" and lives there for a time, finding places to sleep and things to drink.
b) The point close to the end when Spzilman goes to the destroyed ghetto and searches for food, finding only a can of pickles. He tries everything to open them.
c) While Wladylsaw is walking down the street, Germans start open firing and he lays down, pretending to be dead to avoid imminent death.
3) The individual response to challenge.
a) Waldyslaw's brother, Henryk, refuses to wear the Star of David on his arm and follow the rules for Jews set out by the SS.
b) Wladyslaw is willing to throw himself out the window when SS officers come to his building.
c) Szpilman's life is on the line throughout the entire film, but he perseveres.
4) Risk Taking
a) Wladyslaw trusts Wilm Hosenfeld, the German officer who tries to help him.
b) One of the pianist's apartments is next to the German buildings, at the centre of the hub.
c) Szpilman joins the Resistance and traffiks guns and supplies into and out of the ghetto while he is living there.
5) The effects of adversity on the human spirit.
a) Wladyslaw walks through the ghetto one day after the deportation and he begins to weep.
b) He is able to maintain sanity by pretending to play the piano. His love for music helps him endure the adversity.
c) The man who steals the can of food from the older woman, his peer whom he would have formerly respected and helped before the German oppression.
a) The scene when the German officer lines up the Jews and picks about seven out of the group, tells then to lay down, and successfully shoots each in the head. The last man is forced to await his death as the officer takes his time and refills his gun.
b) Near the end of the film, Poland is liberated, but the soldiers see Wladyslaw Spzilman in a German coat and begin to shoot at him.
c) The first night of clear Jewish oppression, a man in a wheelchair is heaved over the balcony because he is unable to stand in the presence of the German soldiers.
2)Personal Resourcefulness.
a) The scene where Wladyslaw goes to the abandoned German hospital, in the centre of the "Lion's Den" and lives there for a time, finding places to sleep and things to drink.
b) The point close to the end when Spzilman goes to the destroyed ghetto and searches for food, finding only a can of pickles. He tries everything to open them.
c) While Wladylsaw is walking down the street, Germans start open firing and he lays down, pretending to be dead to avoid imminent death.
3) The individual response to challenge.
a) Waldyslaw's brother, Henryk, refuses to wear the Star of David on his arm and follow the rules for Jews set out by the SS.
b) Wladyslaw is willing to throw himself out the window when SS officers come to his building.
c) Szpilman's life is on the line throughout the entire film, but he perseveres.
4) Risk Taking
a) Wladyslaw trusts Wilm Hosenfeld, the German officer who tries to help him.
b) One of the pianist's apartments is next to the German buildings, at the centre of the hub.
c) Szpilman joins the Resistance and traffiks guns and supplies into and out of the ghetto while he is living there.
5) The effects of adversity on the human spirit.
a) Wladyslaw walks through the ghetto one day after the deportation and he begins to weep.
b) He is able to maintain sanity by pretending to play the piano. His love for music helps him endure the adversity.
c) The man who steals the can of food from the older woman, his peer whom he would have formerly respected and helped before the German oppression.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Our Top 5 Scenes from Night
1) Early on in the book Moshe the Beadle describes the horrors he has experienced, one of the sights he has seen is infants being thrown in the air and used as targets.
This is the first sign of horrible things to come for Eli and the rest of the rest of his village. At this point the majority of the village refuses to believe this disturbing news, however by the end of the book Eli is no longer affected by such terror. Even his reaction to his fathers death is quite minimal.
2) When Eli describes the eight words that changed his life forever; "Men to the left! Women to the right!"
Eli had no idea this would be the last time he would ever see his mother and sisters. I believe the thought of this pain is strong enough to never forget this scene.
3) When Eli and his father along with hundreds of other prisoners walk towards the burning ditch when they first arrive at Aushwitz.
For this short time Eli truly believes his life is over. It seems as though there is no way to escape his death as all events leading up to this have hinted towards the end.
4) When the young boy is hanged
The prisoners became used to death as they experienced it around them everyday. When the death of a child is showcased so proudly by the SS it is a sign that God is no longer there. From this moment on Eli has given up hope that God will help him and his father.
5) From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back a me. The look in his eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me.
These lines display the hardships Eli has gone through and how they have forever been imprinted into his mind. The memories he shares throughout the book are sumed up in the the powerful final sentances, to ensure the reader will never forget.
This is the first sign of horrible things to come for Eli and the rest of the rest of his village. At this point the majority of the village refuses to believe this disturbing news, however by the end of the book Eli is no longer affected by such terror. Even his reaction to his fathers death is quite minimal.
2) When Eli describes the eight words that changed his life forever; "Men to the left! Women to the right!"
Eli had no idea this would be the last time he would ever see his mother and sisters. I believe the thought of this pain is strong enough to never forget this scene.
3) When Eli and his father along with hundreds of other prisoners walk towards the burning ditch when they first arrive at Aushwitz.
For this short time Eli truly believes his life is over. It seems as though there is no way to escape his death as all events leading up to this have hinted towards the end.
4) When the young boy is hanged
The prisoners became used to death as they experienced it around them everyday. When the death of a child is showcased so proudly by the SS it is a sign that God is no longer there. From this moment on Eli has given up hope that God will help him and his father.
5) From the depths of the mirror, a corpse gazed back a me. The look in his eyes, as they stared into mine, has never left me.
These lines display the hardships Eli has gone through and how they have forever been imprinted into his mind. The memories he shares throughout the book are sumed up in the the powerful final sentances, to ensure the reader will never forget.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Our Top Five Scenes from The Pianist
Recently in English class we studied Roman Polanski's film, The Pianist to accompany our study of Night by Elie Wiesel. These are our favourite and most powerful scenes.
The Pianist:
1) One of the first nights in the Ghetto, the German officers visit the Jewish families and one man is in a wheelchair and cannot stand to meet them. They take him outside and throw him over the balcony along with his wheelchair.
The Pianist:
1) One of the first nights in the Ghetto, the German officers visit the Jewish families and one man is in a wheelchair and cannot stand to meet them. They take him outside and throw him over the balcony along with his wheelchair.
This scene is so memorable because it is so beyond terrible and absolutely unheard of in our society. It is the first scene in the film of terror and Jewish oppression.
2) At one point the German officers force the Jews to line up and randomly select a few people to lay down, face first, on the street. One officer then proceeds to shoot each one in the head. Upon reaching the last man, he runs out of bullets and the man is forced to wait as the officer reloads his gun.
This scene is very powerful because the when the last man realizes the officer has run out of bullets, visible hope dawns on his face, but it is quickly shut down as the officer slowly reloads his gun to finish the job.
3) When Szpilman moves into the second apartment after he escapes deportation, there is an old piano, sitting unused in the main room. Dorota's husband, who gave him the apartment, tells him he must be silent in order to be safe, as no one knows he lives there. He sits at the piano and gently moves his fingers over the keys, making no sound but hearing the music in his mind.
This scene is very powerful because it shows the strength, comfort, and joy that music brings Szpilman. He is a musician and has made his life around music, and it feeds his soul during his isolation.
This scene is very powerful because it shows the strength, comfort, and joy that music brings Szpilman. He is a musician and has made his life around music, and it feeds his soul during his isolation.
4) After Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody) has lived outside the walls of the Ghetto for some time, he must go back inside in order to survive. He jumps the fence and takes a long look at the buildings in the Ghetto where he once lived. They are totally destroyed, barely the framework is left.
This scene is very touching because Wladyslaw now knows total isolation. Everything he had and everyone he knew are gone. The only things left are him and the skeletons of buildings.
5) While Wladylsaw is living in the abandoned and destroyed ghetto, he finds a can of pickles, the only source of food he finds. He takes it with him everywhere he goes as he has not been successful in opening the can.
This scene is memorable because it shows the audience just how little he really has and how resourceful he has to be. It also makes the audience think about their own posessions and how much they really have compared to how much they need.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Our Top 5 Genres of Stuff
1)Best Books
~ Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)
~ Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
~ The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom)
~ 1984 (George Orwell)
~ Shopaholic Series (Sophie Kinsella.....you gotta have some fluffy fun)
~ Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares.....yet again, fluff)
~ The Hiding Place (Corrie Ten Boom)
~ Dancing Under the Red Star (Karl Tobien)
~ Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare)
~ Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare)
2)Our Favourite Asians in AP (kind of superfluous as all asians are in AP)
~ John Leier
~ Canaan Ng
~ Derek Mah
~ Godwin Cheung
~ Jordan Nishi....I guess
3)Movies
~ The Prestige
~ Deja Vu
~ Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
~ Gladiator
~ A Walk to Remember
~The Notebook
~Harry Potter
~ Spiderman trilogy (especially when he cries)
~ Lion King
~ The Little Mermaid
~ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (but really only the oompa loompas)
~ Wall-E
~ Ocean's Trilogy
~ A Knight's Tale
~ Batman
~ King Arthur
~ Caddy Shack
~ Remember the Titans
~ Happy Gilmore
~ Pocahontas (anything Disney will do)
~August Rush
4)TV shows
~ Lost
~ House
~ Friends
~ Grey's Anatomy
~ Ugly Betty
~ Gossip Girl
~ Survivor (the first 7....not the 20 after)
~ So You Think You Can Dance
~ Bachleorette
5)Music
~ BSB
~ John Mayer
~ Anything Country
~ Mozart
~ Pokemon theme song
~ Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana (i can't tell the difference)
~ Breaking Benjamin
~ Colbie Callait
~ Jason Mraz
~ Elton John
~ John Legend
~ Bailey and Jordan (SO GOOD...they rap)
~ John Lennon
~ Jonas Brothers
~ Enrique Inglesias
~ Jack Johnson
~ Matt Costa
~ Coldplay
~ Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)
~ Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
~ The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom)
~ 1984 (George Orwell)
~ Shopaholic Series (Sophie Kinsella.....you gotta have some fluffy fun)
~ Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares.....yet again, fluff)
~ The Hiding Place (Corrie Ten Boom)
~ Dancing Under the Red Star (Karl Tobien)
~ Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare)
~ Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare)
2)Our Favourite Asians in AP (kind of superfluous as all asians are in AP)
~ John Leier
~ Canaan Ng
~ Derek Mah
~ Godwin Cheung
~ Jordan Nishi....I guess
3)Movies
~ The Prestige
~ Deja Vu
~ Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants
~ Gladiator
~ A Walk to Remember
~The Notebook
~Harry Potter
~ Spiderman trilogy (especially when he cries)
~ Lion King
~ The Little Mermaid
~ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (but really only the oompa loompas)
~ Wall-E
~ Ocean's Trilogy
~ A Knight's Tale
~ Batman
~ King Arthur
~ Caddy Shack
~ Remember the Titans
~ Happy Gilmore
~ Pocahontas (anything Disney will do)
~August Rush
4)TV shows
~ Lost
~ House
~ Friends
~ Grey's Anatomy
~ Ugly Betty
~ Gossip Girl
~ Survivor (the first 7....not the 20 after)
~ So You Think You Can Dance
~ Bachleorette
5)Music
~ BSB
~ John Mayer
~ Anything Country
~ Mozart
~ Pokemon theme song
~ Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana (i can't tell the difference)
~ Breaking Benjamin
~ Colbie Callait
~ Jason Mraz
~ Elton John
~ John Legend
~ Bailey and Jordan (SO GOOD...they rap)
~ John Lennon
~ Jonas Brothers
~ Enrique Inglesias
~ Jack Johnson
~ Matt Costa
~ Coldplay
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Our Top 5 (but actually 2) Books
For our English 30AP class, we are studying Elie Wiesel's Night and Dennis Bock's Ash Garden.
Stay tuned for our enchanting insights :)
Stay tuned for our enchanting insights :)
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