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prompt: Are there any contrasts between the characters that stand out to you, and what might these contrasts suggest about the play’s themes?

I thought an interesting contrast was created for Hugh, the headmaster of the hedge school. Before his entry in the first few pages, Manus, Doalty, Bridget, Jimmy, and Maire were casually chatting about various things happening in Ballybeg. They were even joking about their Master's drinking habits when Bridget responded "Master - when were you last sober？" to Doalty, who was mocking their master at that time. However, as soon as the group heard that their master was coming back from the pub, each character quickly arranged themselves in the classroom to look prepared and studious. As Hugh enters, he is described as "a large man, with residual dignity". This immediately illustrates his nobility and authority within the school. In addition to that he was also "shabbily dressed" which implies that he was poor, like his students. This gives me the impression that despite his poorness, he remains a great teacher and robust figure to represent hedge schools. As the story progresses, I predict that Friel will illustrate more of his authoritative traits and clear-mindedness as a headmaster, which will be crucial in times of confusion and anger.

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First impressions of "Translations" and Monkman's art

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First impressions of "Translations" and Monkman's art

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In "Translations", Friel illustrates a time when the British started exerting an impact on Irish culture, language, and lifestyle. He writes a realistic fictional story that describes how the British government attempts to render Irish signs into English. This may seem minor compared to more detrimental/impactful political changes, but it implies the British had greater motives for the Irish to assimilate into the English language/culture/tradition etc. Therefore, I think the addition of translations is enough to represent how ambitious the British were. In addition to that, I found Hedge schools to be an interesting feature because they almost remind me of residential schools. Of course, I noticed that Hedge schools have the exact opposite role compared to residential schools; since Hedge schools are responsible for preserving culture, and residential schools are responsible for stripping culture away.

In Monkman's artworks, I see a lot of techniques that resemble artwork in the renaissance period. His works have well-rendered gradients and details, while his compositions often involve lots of different elements or objects. Many of his work shows lots of people in some kind of interation that looks like a conflict, and on top of that I saw how the people were always split into a fraction of white people and a fraction of indigenous people. In addition to that I also notice that he often likes to draw certain people in a unisex way, where a man can be seen having a slightly feminine face while wearing heels. Maybe this is related to the concpet of being two spirited, which is something quite unique to the indigenous peoples of Canada. Therefore I think Monkman wants to illustrate the general conflict between the white people and indigenous groups, where indigenous peoples are forced to abandon what is unique to them.

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Reflection: How does Friel's use of dialogue and tone convey a message to the audience in the opening of Act Two? 

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Reflection: How does Friel's use of dialogue and tone convey a message to the audience in the opening of Act Two? 

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In the beginning of act two, we see Yolland and Owen Anglicisizing the Irish location names while they chat casually. From their diaglogue, the audience is informed about the process of renaming as well as Yolland's, Owen's, and Manus's opinion of the current situation. Yolland expresses an enthusiastic attitude towards both the Irish language and culture, which stands in contrast with Owen who works hard to anglicize every name into what makes most sense. This contrast was further amplified when we see how the anglicization causes the original meanings/stories behind the location names to dimish. For example, "Bun na hAbhann", a name that was supposed to mean "mouth of the river" became "Burnfoot" after anglicization. This shows how the translation of place names can lead to the diminishing or even the disappearance of a word's original meaning, which is in fact losing the key to the spirituality (value for culture, purpose, and language) of Irish people. However, on the other side, Yolland expresses his interest towards spirituality. At the opneing of Act two, he was already able to udnerstand many Gaelic words and even comprehend Gaelic speech to some extend. Because of this, he was able to understand the meaning behind some Irish location names. Nevertheless, he continues to work on anglicisizing, seeming to realize that the new, 'standarized' names have been corrupted.

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What is the significance of Hugh’s words about language and the past in the final Act? 

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What is the significance of Hugh’s words about language and the past in the final Act? 

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In the final act, Hugh quotes a famous story from "The Aeneid" that describes the Trojans in search of a new land to retain power after the fall of Troy. Hugh also points out Lybia, a nation that was destroyed by the Roman Empire. This allusion relates to the overarching theme of colonialism that Friel illustrates throughout Translations, as it

the Aeneid itself follows a story of the powerful Roman empire that conquers the entire Europe. The conquering of the Roman Empire can symbolize the British colonialization of Ireland. Of course, the stories within "The Aeneid" take on a more extreme approach where Rome killed nations, whereas "Translations" only talks about the loss of a language. However, I do believe some other part of Ireland was 'killed'. The most obvious portion of their culture that was destroyed by the British is Language, but with that the underlying stories embedded within the language was also killed, because the 'standarization' eventually caused the Irish education to change as well.

Additionally, this allusion may also hint at a sense of hope because the story follows a refugee who metamorphosizes into a leader who builds a great empire. This discussion of resistance may also suggest how in actual history, Ireland was able to preserve their own culture and language.

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150 years of Canada in Monkman's perspective

residential schools

meaning of history to Indigenous peoples

purpose - want people to be more reflective on the last 150 years (specifically addressing the last 150 years

of education? why weren't residential schools educated?

inspired by art history - different narratives in paintings

The daddies

based on a painting of Confederation, but it excludes the Indigenous

Miss Chief - represents Indigenous perspective

the other "fathers" - interpreted by audience

draws a idea from classical paintings

even in modern cities, indigenous perspectives are still evident.

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Write a journal entry based on the youtube video that addresses some of the following;

What do you think is Kent Monkman’s main goal with his art? How does he use his paintings to communicate messages?

I think Monkman's main goal with his art is to challenge the already exsisting narratives in history. His experiment with combining exsisting paintings with his own perspectives and messages prompts me as an audience to think about the viability of exsisting information or representaion about certain things. For example, the painting that stood out to me the most was "The daddies" where he added Ms. Chief on the painting of "the fathers of confederation". I was familiar with the fathers of confederation even though I'm not canadian, and the sudden appearance of Ms. Chief and the Hudson Bay Blanket prompted me to look deeper into the painting. In "the daddies", I think that the presence of Ms. Cheif and the blanket expresses irony in relation to the fathers of confederation. In general, I think that Monkman is trying to convey how it is ironic that the fathers of confederation did not mention a thing about indigenous people and their most primitive connection to Canada. For many of Monkman's other paintings, I think that he is trying to express messages under the same topic of colonialism, underrepresentation and violence.

How do you think art can be used to change people’s perceptions of history and culture? Can you think of any other examples (besides Monkman) where art has challenged or changed societal views?

the topics I mentioned previously provide the audience with new perspectives to the land they stand upon. When they see a classical artwork that has been purposefully altered (like "the daddies") most audiences will notice how something is irregular and they would be intrigued by Monkman's artistic choices. I think one of Monkman's purposes of creating art is for the audience to question and inquire about his choice of elements and figures, because while doing so they are also investigating more into the ingenous perspective of things and it will eventually lead to the advocation for underrepresented indigenous voices.

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gender and power dynamics

highlighting how gender can represent and hold different degrees of power. This can lead to manipulation and abuse of power.

feminism resists against the exsisting power imbalance, promoting equal power between all genders.

feminism

The strive for equality between all genders. This means emphasizing the mutlifacetedness of the human personality in both males and females

sexuality and Desire

Sexuality and desire are often related to each other because it is a primitive human want. However sexuality and desire has become harmful to women because of "the male gaze" where males over-sexualize and objectify women, limiting their ability to express themselves.

Transformation and Rebirth

It is feeling like a new person after one has changed their way of thinking. Usually it describes a positive mental change, where a woman may start to embrace their own sexuality or find their own goals.

Subverting

a huge change or flip in roles and meaning. This can be bringing unusual experiences and perspectives to spark newer ones.

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I think this unit will focus on th experience of women and how they have a strong mentality to become their own saviour. In literature, many women are depicted as weak, uncapable side characters but this will change as time moves because now more women are choosing to subvert gender roles. The way women think and act would definitely be a key component to this unit because a lot of the time people don't realize how strong women are when they face expectations, mental barriers and even physical pain. I think the protest art and The Bloody Chamber would definitely emphasize the importance of women as well as the conflicts related to gender and sex, bringing struggles into light

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In this unit, I feel I am progressing to develop my knowledge on writing structure and communication of ideas. An area where I aim to grow is my vocabulary range, because a broad vocabulary will aid me in clarifying my writing. My goal for the next unit is to continue learning about essay structure especially for the Paper 2 format, while I learn about how to adequately present my thoughts and interpretations.

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Icy sensations piereced through her feet as she walked across the garden. Amid the snowy garden, she turns her head to spot a blazing red bud, where the pale background makes this spot of red feel almost otherworldy. Even though the piercing winter air slashes at her skin like knives, the beauty before her eyes forced her to stop. As she reached her hand to its stem, more splatters of red highlight this white inferno.

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How does Carter subvert the Snow White narrative? How does this serve as a critique or commentary?

Carter subverts the original Snow White narrative by adding elements of horror to critique the unequal power sharing between men and women. In The Snow Child, the child that appears in the story serves as a hyperbolic version of the original Snow White. Snow White was portrayed with a passive and submissive persoanlity as well as an appearance of pure white snow. The Snow Child's appearance resembles the original Snow White, however multiple features were exaggerated as a result of "the male gaze". "The male gaze" in this story come directly from the Count, where he visualizes the ideal child toward the opening of the story. However, after his "ideal child" appears before him, he succumbs to his own desires, using the child solely for his own pleasure. His hope for the child in the beginning of the story strongly contrasts with his actions towards the end, where Carter likely critiques the intentions of men wanting to materialize women.

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Mini Oral Discussion Task: Guerrilla Girls' Protest Art

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Mini Oral Discussion Task: Guerrilla Girls' Protest Art

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Wolf-Alice struggles with her place in both human and wolf worlds, feeling a sense of belonging to neither. Have you ever felt caught between two different aspects of your life or identity, unsure where you truly belong? How did you navigate that feeling, and what did you learn from the experience?What message do you think Carter is trying to convey through this story?

Within my life, I often feel like being caught in a state where I do not belong in specific areas or criteria. School is a great example of this, because while it urges me to excel in multiple areas, it also confuses me of what kind of person I am. Am I smart or not? Am I creative or not? Am I compassionate or not? I find myself answering the questions with I don't know very often because I think I am neither. The academic environment often contradicts with my original perception of myself, leading to a lot of confusion and difficulty with communication because of my wavering thoughts and inability to formulate this solid opinion/thought/idea/critique. I navigated this kind of feeling by taking time to reflect on myself and focus on what's enjoyable, such as my hobbies. In a way it helps me focus less on the irrelevant categorization that occurs to me and instead forces me to focus on things that are tangible and present. Over time, identifying my position became less of an issue because it no longer felt relevant to me. It doesn't really matter to be one way or the other, because things in life are always based on a spectrum, not two polar sides. I think this is also what carter is trying to convey in her short story, because Wolf-Alice is this girl with this duality of both humanity and wildness. She is a being who can't really be classified as human or wolf, she is in between these two races and has her unique way of interpreting and interacting with the world. Additionally, Wolf-Alice isn't the only one who showcases this kind of duality; the nuns and other human beings also showcases violent and fearful primal instincts, even beneath a "mask" of civilization. This suggests that "civilized" humans will also bear this duality in them, although it is not as evident. In general, Carter is trying to prompt readers to think about whether a boundary exists between human and animal, in turn proposing the possibility that they are a part of a spectrum.

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In The Company of the Wolves, the protagonist confronts danger but ultimately takes control of her situation. Can you think of a time when you faced something you were afraid of but found a way to take charge or turn the situation around? How did that experience change how you view fear or your own strength? What message do you think Carter is trying to convey through this story?

A while ago when I was in middle school, I remember witnessing this "fight" within my family that was deeply disturbing. Even though the scene was traumatizing and very uncomfortable for the 13-year-old me, I thought that with my traits and identity, I could mediate this quarrel. I "participated" in this quarrel by speaking as this neutral figure, and as my mom's daughter, I realized that this sort of role is especially powerful in terms of mediating and understanding the situation. I didn't do anything significant but this was a very important turning point in my psyche where I found my own strength in being a gentle person who mediates situations well. Carter's depiction of the girl is an example of finding strength, especially within the "constraints" of gender. In The Company of The Wolves, the "little red riding hood" does not fear her own sexuality and celebrates her own body in a way to reclaim power or find strength. Her act of taming the wolf also talks about how women are able to both assert power and gentleness.

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In the story The Lady and the House of Love the countess struggles with her identity wavering between her supernatural existence and her attachment to humanity and humanistic qualities. Have you ever been stuck between two aspects of your own identity causing internal conflict? Have you ever wanted to ignore certain aspects of your own identity? In the story the countess ended up choosing her humanity why do you think she ended up succumbing to her humanistic side rather than living forever as a vampire?

I do not think I ever expressed this extreme duality in my personality, only the differences in internal thoughts and external behavior are present. I do believe that at some point I did try to suppress some aspects of my own persona because I didn't like them or find them troublesome, although I failed most of the time just like how The Countess fails to contain her hunger. For example, I used to force myself to socialize and verbalize my thoughts more but it was a stubborn and ineffective way of actually changing my reluctance (or even inability, occasionally,) to verbally communicate. I've forced myself to do similar things in order to change my habits, but then I learned that I should probably go with the flow and follow my impulses because at this point there's not much to lose. By the end of the story, I would argue whether The Countess completely chose the side of humanity. Throughout many stories in The Bloody Chamber, I feel like Carter is trying to explain how humanity and monstrosity lie on a spectrum, unlike a "true or false" statement. In my opinion, The Countess chose a position where she is at the center of this spectrum. Physically, she didn't really become more human (because she died a vampire), and mentally she understands her identity as a vampire and the fraction of personality that is more human-like. In a way, because of her choice, she could also be classified as an entity that lies nowhere in the discussion of humanity and monstrosity; she is merely being dominated by her own awareness to return herself to nature.

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How does Carter’s use of gothic storytelling in The Courtship of Mr. Lyon challenge traditional fairy-tale archetypes, and what does this suggest about the societal expectations placed on beauty and relationships?

Unlike the passive heroines of traditional tales, Carter’s Beauty undergoes a Gothic journey of self-awareness and growth. She starts as a character defined by societal ideals of feminine beauty and virtue but gradually becomes more active in shaping her destiny. Her return to the Beast at the story’s climax is framed not as a fulfillment of duty but as an act of genuine love and choice, reclaiming her agency. Beauty’s transformation is also significant: she evolves from a passive, duty-bound daughter into a self-aware woman who actively chooses her path. This shift highlights the potential for women to break free from societal stereotypes and embrace their desires and autonomy.

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In a 300-500 word entry in your journal, reflect on how those memories contribute to your sense of identity. Lastly, explore the idea of losing one of these memories—how would it change who you are?
- This is a collage of some photos from my pre-college program at Carnegie Mellon University, in July 2024. The photos I chose are a very small portion of my experience there, but they are definitely some of the most memorable pieces. In general, the experience in Carnegie Mellon was challenging and quite frightening; I had to live in a big residence (way bigger than boarding), live with someone I don't know, meet new classmates and teachers, navigate the big campus, work on university-intensity assignments, and more. All of these factors were incredibly challenging to me as a very introverted person, but I just had to make it through those three weeks. Originally I was anxious just like anyone would've been, because I feared the unknown. I was afraid of my classmates and my assignments because I was worried that I couldn't accomplish anything in both areas. But then my thoughts faltered when I started dining with some of my classmates, three to be precise. One of them was my roommate, and the two others were rising seniors who shared a room. From eating together, our relationships soon escalated to a point where we would all hangout in museums, attend studio together, go out for dinner, and help each other with assignments. Moreover, there wasn't a single moment where they

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Journal: What specific authorial choices are utilized in "The Memory Police" to help communicate the Global Issue of Politics, Power, & Justice 

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Journal: What specific authorial choices are utilized in "The Memory Police" to help communicate the Global Issue of Politics, Power, & Justice 

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Ogawa uses the literal disappearances of objects (birds, roses, books) as a metaphor for how authoritarian regimes erase cultural memory. When something vanishes, people forget its significance, mirroring real-world instances where oppressive governments rewrite history, ban literature, or suppress knowledge to maintain control.

For example, When books disappear, the protagonist notes that people no longer remember their stories. This reflects historical instances of book burnings and censorship, where regimes attempt to control what people know and remember.

Another instance of this is when the protagonist notes how "Not one of them so much as turned to look at me, and my voice was lost in the pile of memories on the floor," it highlights the collective indifference toward loss. The imagery of discarded memories suggests that even personal experiences and emotions are subject to disappearance, leaving no space for resistance or mourning. The fact that no one reacts to her presence shows how deeply the regime has conditioned people to accept forgetting as inevitable. Her "lost voice" also symbolizes the broader suppression of identity, self-expression, and historical truth, in turn reinforcing how authoritarian rule silences both individual and collective memory.

The narrator's experience in The Memory Police highlights the extreme lengths that authoritarian regimes will go to in order to maintain control, using fear and force to suppress dissent and ensure obedience. When the protagonist witnesses a child being taken away by the Memory Police, she recounts, “‘Look at him. He’s just a child.’/ ‘Poor thing.’/ The old man and I held hands…as the Memory Police forced them into one of the trucks.” This moment underscores the indiscriminate nature of the regime’s oppression. The phrase “He’s just a child” highlights the inhumanity of the authorities, showing that even the most vulnerable are not spared. The disappearances orchestrated by the Memory Police serve as a method of erasing not only objects and memories but also any resistance to their authority. This reflects how oppressive governments rely on dehumanization and brutality to instill compliance in their citizens.

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Throughout Unit one, I have gained valuable skills that aid me in essay writing. Specifically, the in-class practice paragraphs/essays helped me greatly in developing my understanding for essay structure, such as how thesis statements can be most effective, and how body paragraphs can present straightforward connections and analysis. I think this was shown in the AFL I wrote towards the end of the unit, where I was able to apply my knowledge of structure onto my writing.

I need to continue developing my vocabulary for describing devices and analysing texts. By expanding my vocab on adjectives, I think I can have better word choice in my writing, which can clarify my analysis on the text.

I am particularly proud of my final essay and another one I did as practice at home. I am very impressed how I was able to write all my analysis within an hour, something I was originally anxious about. At the same time, I was also able to follow a organized strucutre for my paragraphs, where I clearly stated the analysis/message/purpose of the text.