Balance and Order -- The Odyssey is just one of those classics read by every high schooler. When my sophomore year English teacher assigned a thesis paper, I decided to explore the idea of moira, or evolving fate. Odysseus faces a series of misfortunes, but Zeus only lets it go to a certain extent before giving him what he truly desires: home. Read my interpretation of limits on evolving fate.
Side Note: I find Odysseus to be quite obnoxious, and at times, it seems as though he would rather fool around with other women than go home and be with his family.
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Breaking the Standard -- Pride and Prejudice is a must-read for everyone. It shows us that if we ignore society’s expectations or follow them to a T, life becomes black and white, and thus easier to understand. However, if we look closely at the grey areas, ethical struggles start to come forth. Here’s my take on how Modernity – a focus on individuality and development – affects the way a person deals with society’s expectations.
Side Note: I find Darcy to be a very interesting character, both because of his character change and his short comical lines.
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A Painted Personality -- Of all of Oscar Wilde’s works, most high schoolers read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but my class read The Importance of Being Earnest, and I’m glad we did. It emphasizes a double personality, giving me the chance to explore my own dual persona. I thought that my personas would be quite different from one another, but after finishing this paper, I learned something completely different. Read to see if you can relate!
Side Note: My favorite part about writing this was exploring the metaphor of decorations on a wall.
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The Not-So-Typical Office -- The Office is a show that required me to push through the first season in order to realize that it’s one of the best creations. While the show would definitely not succeed if it were released today, it’s still worth watching. Here’s a critique of the show with emphasis on the use of emotion, rational thinking, and resemblance to the real world.
Side Note: Seeing Michael upset fully tugs on my heartstrings.
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Alison's Odyssey Away from Ithaca -- If you haven’t read Fun Home, I strongly suggest that you make a free Online Archives account and read it! It’s in the form of a comic, but that doesn’t make it any less effective. To me, it felt like a nuanced ode to Alison Bechdel’s father, who was a very complicated person.
Side Note: If you’ve read my piece on The Odyssey, this should be interesting as I draw parallels between Alison’s journey of exploring sexual orientation and Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca.
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A False Following -- Let’s journey back to freshman year, when I read The Taming of the Shrew and felt a growing rage from her feminist side. I found Petruchio’s behavior toward Katherine to be particularly appalling, but Katherine’s use of sarcasm and irony helped her to take control of her situation. For that, I will forever admire dear Kate.
Side Note: I know that most of Shakespeare’s works were likely not written by him, but I wonder who had influence on this play and whether it was a woman.