Culture

Culture is the way that a group of people live. This can include their beliefs and traditions. Also, it includes the way in which we interact with others. It involves what we wear, the food we eat, the music we listen to, etc. Culture in extrinsic, or learned. This is because we learn and gain our culture from those who set an example for us. We pick up our culture from our family, relatives, friends, and all those around us when we interact with others.

Norman Rockwell "Runaway"

Facts:

In the picture, there is a policeman, and a little boy.
They are at a diner and they are sitting with the waiter.

Claims:

The boy has run away from home.
The waiter is friendly.
The artist is trying to exemplify the fact that elders in society guide the youth

Pygmalion #2

First, I was quite interested in how the characters from the first scene, the mother, daughter, and Freddy, later reappeared in Act III. From their unimportance in the first scence, you wouldn't expect them to later become a larger part in the story.

Also, I thought that Mrs. Higgins line in Act  IV was particularly interesting. She says, "You certainly are a pretty pair of babies, playing with your live doll." Though they deny it, this is entirely true. Higgins and Pickering often treat Eliza as a doll rather than a human being. They even say that they are always busy "talking Eliza,  teaching Eliza, dressing Eliza, inventing new Elizas." They seem only to be concerned with their bet and passing her off as a lady. They do not care for her feelings or what would happen to her afterwards. They talk about her as if she isn't in the room.

However, when Eliza asks what is hers and what she may take with her when she leaves, Higgins is shocked and hurt. This one of the first times we actually see true emotion from Higgins. Maybe, perhaps, he actually does care for Eliza more than she believes. He says, "It is you who have hit me. You wounded me to the heart."  Again,  we see that Higgins is a man of contradictions.

In Act V, we see more emotion from Higgins. Higgins and Eliza argure again and he admits that he will miss Eliza if she goes. He is also suprised when Eliza tells him that Freddy has been writing her  love letters. I have a growing feeling that their relationship is one of both love and hate. They argue constantly and often treat eachother badly. But underneath the arguing, I feel that they may genuinely care for eachother. And while Eliza always threatens to leave, Higgins believes that she will always return.

Pygmalion #1

I immediately knew that this assignment would be difficult when I read the title of this book. Seeing as I have already read this book, it is going to be difficult to give my opinions and thoughts on certain things without using my knowledge of the rest of the book. However, I will try to write as if I am reading for the first time.

I thought that it was interesting that the book begins with the unimportant characters of the mother, daughter, and Freddy rather than the main character. Many novels begin in the point of view of the main character, so we immdiately identify them as the main character and see what they are doing, feeling, seeing, etc. But, because this is a play, this choice suited it very well. You do not watch movies or plays that begin immediately with the main character and their actions. There has to be some scence setting and we often see minor characters before major ones. I thought that this scene was an interesting and engaging way to introduce the main character Eliza, the flower girl.

Obviously, one problem with reading this book is with Eliza's accent. When she had shorter lines, I was able to muddle through and figure out what she was actually saying. But some lines were nearly impossible. I think that this would be an instance in which you would greatly benefit from seeing the play performed rather than reading it on paper.  But, once you got past this, you see that it really does give her a lot a character and immediately makes her stand out from the others in the scene.

I also found the character of Higgins to be very interesting. Like Eliza, his character easily stands out. His use of phonetics is the first thing that interests me. He can identify where a man is from based entirely on his accent. As this was interesting to those bystanders, it is also interesting to me. We also see that he is witty, outspoken, tempermental, rude, but somehow still likeable. He is a man of many contradictions. This is what interests me most about his character.

Because Eliza and Higgins are such differnet and interesting people, they make ideal main characters.

The Pearl #2

In the fourth chapter, I began to noticed that Kino was being blinded by his greed. He wanted so badly for this pearl to make him rich. He had already planned to use the money to send Coyotito to school and to use it for a marriage in the church and possibly for a rilfe. Others saw the pearl for what it really was. Juana insists that the pearl was evil and could destroy them. She was not blinded by the same greed as Kino. The dealers also were not influenced by greed. They saw that the pearl was too large and had an odd surface and was not worth much money. But, blinded by his greed, Kino disagreed and refused to sell the pearl for such a small amount of money. His greed drove him to fight and kill and run away from his home. However, by the end of the book, he realized that Juana was right. He saw that the pearl was grey and ugly and evil.


I think that the pearl is ultimately a symbol of greed. It turned Kino from a quite peaceful man into a criminal willing to do anything to get what he wanted. Once, he even said that the pearl had become his soul and that to give it up would be to give up his soul. He was overcome with greed which led to the destruction of his family and himself.

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked that it was short and simple, but also had a good moral.

The Pearl #1

The first thing that I began to notice about the Pearl was the obvious motif of songs and music. By the second chapter, I had already realized that it would become an important part of the book. The first mention of this motif if when Kino hears the Song of the Family. Later, it mentions the Song of the Enemy and the Song of the Pearl The Might Be. Quickly, I noticed that these songs often correspond to Kino's emotions and thoughts. For example, The Song of the Family happy and soft while the Song of the Enemy was mentioned in times of danger. The Song of the Pearl That Might Be was one of hope. I thought that this motif was very unique to this novel and one that I had not seen before. I think that it helps the reader to connect with the book. Almost as if the reader could hear the same music though their own ears as the book progresses.

The second thing I noticed was their fear of the night. Multiple times, the book mentions Kino and Juana covering their faces and noses from the night air. At this point, I'm not sure of the significance of this. Maybe it's part of the culture. I'm not sure, but I find it quite curious.

Also, I noticed how obedient Juana is and how Kino is the obvious leader of the household. Again, I'm assuming this is part of the culture. Often, she remains calm and does whatever Kino asks of her. But at one point in the book, she tells Kino that the pearl is evil and will destroy them.Ultimately, she is right. But Kino refuses to listen. He tells her to hush and insists that once they sell the pearl, then everything will be fine.