Blog Portfolio Final Reflection

Throughout this semester, I've learned many ways of developing my writing and expanding my mind. This class has been quite interesting and I've never thought I could have so much fun. I definitely found what I was looking for.

On my first semester of 2009-2010, I took my class with another professor and it was an interesting class, but it wasn't really what I was looking for. I learned a lot, especially about writing. Even though it was a good class, I wasn't inspired or motivated by it. So, I went looking for a more dynamic class, which I definitely found by taking Prof. Pittmann's course.

I was highly motivated by it and really liked the technique of making the class work. We had a chance to express ourselves and to show others what we can do. I liked most of the plays we read and understood them. The activities we participated in were very dynamic and I liked how the class was never boring. I can certainly say that I learned in this class, because all these activities made it happen. Thanks to the motivation given by this course, I have more knowledge of understanding the English language and expressing myself with others using it.

Gender Reflection

Considering the relationship pairs I reflected on, the sexes of these characters differ in modes of life and perception because they belong to different periods of time. But we see that for a very long time women were not treated equally and had no rights over men. Men were the ones who had power and women had to pleasure them, and for example, in Othello and Desdemona's time, there were harsh punishments for every flaw that was made. In the three relationship pairs of characters, the men treated their wives like if they were their property, which is essentialist of them, having the instincts that they have the control.

In my opinion, gender roles have confronted in all of the plays we have read this semester because of how the male characters treated the female characters. For example, in "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell, we see that women were oppressed by men when the two female characters were paying attention to the "trifles", or little things with no meaning; but the men loose control of the mystery when the women find in those "trifles" the solution of the conflict.

Even though Othello doesn't treat Desdemona without respect in "Othello, The Moor of Venice" by Shakespeare, it show's us at the end how Othello doesn't trust his wife and kills her for her "flaw", later knowing she didn't commit it. Desdemona treats Othello like if he was her king, she is essentialist because she thinks that since she is a woman she should pleasure Othello and should do anything he says; she never tries to face him and defend herself.

In "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen, there are the gender differences of Torvald and Nora. It is sharply shown that Torvald treats Nora like if she was his property and even calls her nicknames comparing her to animals, demonstrating his power over her and the animal names meaning low control or power over things.

In "Two Can Play" by Trevor Rhone, there is the case of Jim and Gloria. Jim is very demanding and thinks he can control Gloria. He believes that Gloria is a woman and should therefore do what he tells her to. The gender differences in this play are very noticed in their conversations and the words Jim uses to talk to Gloria.

We have to recognize women's and men's perspectives and I don't think it's easy to transform them because they have the constructiveness of society's mindset and one person cannot change gender perceptions against the whole society. In the actuality, we still perceive the conflict of gender stereotypes, but they are less seen than in ancient times. We have to accept that in reality and in most cases, men will believe that they have the power over women, since they are considered stronger and women more delicate.

"Two Can Play" by Trevor Rhone

"Two Can Play" is a play about a couple that is trying to escape to America due to the political war going on their country, Jamaica. They live in a deprived and lower middle income area, which confirmed the readers that the place was affected by this warfare.

The couple, Jim and Gloria, face problems in their relationship and most of the play exposes their conversations and how they treated each other. Jim, for example, was very demanding and self- centered; he always wanted Gloria to do as he says. Gloria, on the other hand, had to make all the decisions, but she stood up to Jim and ordered him to treat her well and with respect.

They had three children that were sent by them to America to try to obtain their citizenship.

I think this play was funny and fascinating because the plot caught my attention from the start. It was very interesting to see the way they talked and how they referred to each other. I would definitely recommend this play to anyone that is looking for entertainment and is curious of how people of different cultures live and their characteristics. I learned a lot of how in a relationship there should be trust and honesty, because it was shown in Jim and Gloria's relationship, how they lacked these two phenomenons and how their marriage was almost broken without them.

Acts I-III of "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen

"A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen is one of his famous and unique plays. In Act I, the play opens on Christmas eve with Nora Helmer talking to her husband Torvald Helmer about her desires for Christmas decorations and that she wanted everything to be perfect. She was very ambitious and always brought up (to anyone) a conversation about Torvald's new job, in which he was going to be paid more.

In Act II we see that her ambitions lead to a mysterious surprise in which she borrowed money from Krogstad, a man who worked for Torvald, so she could travel with her husband and family to Italy because of her husband's illness. She lies to Torvald that her father gave them the money, but the problem was that this happened after her father's death. This is where the drama starts and Nora starts to stress out on how she is going to pay the debt; and on top of that, Torvald is firing Krogstad and giving his position to Nora's friend, Kristine Linde.

Nora is very immature and Linde tells her to grow up because Nora thinks that everything is money and that money means happiness. At first, the author has us thinking that the characters of Nora and Linde are very different; Nora being so ambitious and wanting money for her desires and Linde struggling to get money to take care of her siblings and mother; but later, we learn that they are not so different after all. Nora hides the secret of borrowing money from Krogstad to help her husband and is now stressing out to pay the debt.

I think that Nora should tell Torvald about what she did because sooner or later he will find out and everything will turn into a mess. If Krogstad sends the letter to Torvald saying what Nora did, Torvald will get mad, so that is why I think that Nora should tell him before Krogstad, even though if she thinks that he will be embarrassed.

This play certainly shows how male and female genders are not equally treated. First of, because of how Torvald treated Nora, calling her different nicknames and always treating her like a little girl, like if she was not capable of doing anything important; he thought her only job was to be in the house, cleaning it and taking care of her children. Secondly, because Nora was afraid of telling Torvald that she borrowed money from Krogstad and that she was going to pay him back, making him seem like he was not capable of paying his own things and having his wife paying them for him.

In Act III, we see that everything is revealed and Torvald finally knows what Nora did. Instead of being thankful, he gets mad at her and is embarrassed of Nora borrowing money from Krogstad for his own illness. At the end, Nora decides to leave the house and maintain herself, without Torvald's help. This is where her character changes and goes out looking for a new start and new life. It was very unexpected to see that Nora will leave Torvald and would face him like she did, which I think it was the start of Nora becoming more mature and able to make her own decisions.

Reflection on "Othello, The Moor of Venice" by William Shakespeare Acts III-V

Acts III-V includes the part when Desdemona drops the handkerchief, the first gift that Othello gave her and Emilia (Iago's wife) picks it up and gives it to Iago. Then Iago places it in Cassio's room so can he can convince Othello of Desdemona's infidelity. Othello believes Iago and plans to kill Desdemona. In my opinion, I think that Othello shouldn't have killed Desdemona, he should have talked to both of them first, that is Cassio and Desdemona, and then decide what he was going to do. Also, he shouldn't have believed Iago instead of his wife, in whom he should trust.

It all ends in a tragedy and with Iago not guilty for what he has done because he finally got what he wanted; revenge. I believe that if Iago wasn't in the play, there wouldn't really be "Othello", because all the action turns around him.

An aspect I consider important, is the fact that Othello is dark-skinned, and that is why he is referred to the "Moor". This proves that during Shakespeare's time there was racial classification, but yet, he makes Othello (being black) part of the highest nobility. It is very interesting how Shakespeare tries to demonstrate the audience about how men treated women and how there was a lot of conflict in the supremacy, which makes me bring it to the present, showing that these conflicts have been existing since a long time ago, and still exist in the political area.

Reflection on "Othello, The Moor of Venice" by William Shakespeare Acts I-II

I consider "Othello, The Moor of Venice" a very dramatic play. It involves a series of characters which rotate in an abstract circle around conflict. I think it has a lot to do with revenge, because it is what started the whole conflict that ended up in a tragedy. It also reflects the amazing work of Shakespeare, and thus has been popular for it's form of language and situation of control.

It all starts with Iago, who is angry at Othello for choosing Cassio as his lieutenant, and not him; which leads to the beginning of the revenge against both of them. Iago turns Roderigo against Cassio, and Othello against Cassio and Desdemona (Othello's wife), making him a traitor and the one who caused all the tragedy.

Shakespeare starts the play with Iago because he wants the audience to know his intentions and his evil character. Iago is a selfish and cynic man who will do anything to achieve his goal.

The author reveals how betrayal and jealousy line up together to develop tension in the play. He based "Othello, The Moor of Venice" on a story from a tale "Of the Unfaithfulness of Husbands and Wives", by Giraldi Cinthio, showing his interest of allowing the audience to know about an actual incident that happened in Venice in his time.

Acts I-II are based on the introduction of Iago's intentions and the cause of them. Iago and Roderigo talk about getting Desdemona for Roderigo, since he wants to marry her, and having revenge against Cassio for getting the position of Othello's lieutenant. It is when they plan to kill Cassio and when Iago tells Othello that Desdemona is being unfaithful to him with Cassio; the conflict begins.

I think that in these first two acts Shakespeare wanted to introduce us the character of Iago and he wanted us to know how evil he was and his objective. All the trouble is caused because of Iago's jealousy.

Reflection on "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell

I find this play interesting and mysterious. It reflects how the author has feminist views, when she shows two female characters that solve a mystery that male characters couldn't solve. I think it was realistic because of the way men treated women. Although there were laws to maintain gender equality, women were oppressed by men, and that is just reality.

The men, being involved in the mystery, don't pay attention to the little things, in this case the "trifles", or unimportant issues, that interest the women and which they laugh at, will actually lead them to the answer they're looking for. I think the women should have given them what they founded and show them that they are not just "ladies who just worry about trifles", but that it is more than that. The men miss all the evidence considering that "worrying about trifles" was just beneath them and not important.

I think the canary and the birdhouse details were very intriguing, because Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters had to think through what has happened before in Mrs. Wrights life, to consider the bird as a symbol of her life.

It is very obvious that the author concerns about sex roles and she wants to prove a point. She clearly worries about women roles in society and in this play, she wants to convince the reader or viewer to recognize women's and men's different perspectives, and sets up a tension in the drama.