Growth Mindset week 6 on Multiple Intelligence

Growth-Mindset #10: Multiple Intelligences

Out of the few types of Intelligences there are, some of the ones I can use are: Linguistic, Bodily-kinesthetic and Interpersonal. I can use Linguistic because of the fact that I am taking two English classes and it involves a lot or writing, reading, talking and listening. I can use Bodily-Kinesthetic because I do swimming for DVC and it counts as a class. Therefore, it involves movement of my body. I can use Interpersonal because it is used for all types of classes where you must share, teach, collaborate and interact often in order to get assignments done and to understand the material. However, the one intelligence I want to work on the most is the Linguistic Intelligence because that involves writing which I want to work on since my major is English and I love to write. In order to work on this, I must practice often.

Reading Notes W6: Bunina, Part X

Anna Bunina, “Conversation between me and the Woman” (384-387)

Conversation between me and the woman:

·         This poem is about the power difference between woman and men.

·         Also covers a struggle over proper education overall.

·         Example: “Though few of us, in truth, have Russian educations, and Russian verses make such complications” (385). This refers to the fact that most women didn’t have an education or a not even a proper one at least. As stated, “As few as 6 percent of Russian men could read in 1800, and 4 percent of women” (384).

·         The women reject Russian poetry and she argues against that by saying men will be her fame.

·         The women are just look for typical pretty words, while the author is more old-fashioned with Russian poetry instead.

·         Example: “Don’t expect brothers, husbands, fathers, sons to praise you even once” (385). She is practically stating that women shouldn’t expect men to praise because they won’t. This is hinting instead at woman independence.

·         Example: “In fortifying my own timid voice through Nature’s loveliness, I’m braver in a flash” (386). This is basically stating that through writing she gives her own voice. Therefore, declaring her independence as a woman and being braver than a typical woman at this time, as can be seen through her arguments against the women.

·         “Tis only men you honour with your lays, as if their sex alone deserved your praise. You traitress! Give our case some thought” (387). She is being called a traitor for using the argument that men decide her fame as a writer. This praise makes them think she is now supporting men when she is supposed to be supporting women.

·         “It’s true, my dears, you are no less, but understand: with men, not you, the courts of taste are manned where authors all must stand, and all author’s fame is in their hands” (387). She lays down some cold hard truths that men have all the power even though women should be considered just as equal. She states that men are what decide her fame. This defines her struggle at obtaining independence as a female author.

Week 6 Analysis, a Literary Analysis

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, “Faust” (99-122)

In “Faust part 1,” the character Faust is a rather arrogant and depressed man. He thinks he is smarter than most people because of broad intelligence of many subjects like Philosophy, law, medicine, recto and verso, and theology. As is said, “Of course I’m cleverer than these stuffed shirts, These Doctors, M.A.S, Scribes and Priests” (105). As in this statement, he claims that he is smarter than others and obviously holds himself to high standards. However he is rather depressed because no matter all the knowledge he has, he still feels that he does not know enough. For example, “Oh God, how hard I’ve slaved away, with what result? Poor foolish old man, I’m no whit wiser than when I began” (105). He feels that he is not entirely complete with knowledge until he fully merges with nature and the universe. This is where the themes of dissatisfaction and human helplessness come in. Throughout these few pages, we see these themes pop up together where Faust is not satisfied by his lack of total knowledge and the fact of how helpless humans are compared to nature and the universe. For example, “So I no longer need to sweat painfully explaining what I don’t know anything about: So I may penetrate the power that holds the universe together, behold the source whence all proceeds and no more torture words, words, words” (106). Faust feels hopeless that he cannot have full power as a human so he seeks higher beings to help him obtain this knowledge. However, it does not work out because he is just human, like according to this spirit: “It’s your idea of me you’re equal to, Not me!” (109). Faust claims he is equal to the spirit but the spirit does not feel the same because of the difference in their capabilities. As a human, Faust cannot even comprehend the true power of this human being, thus, he is not equal to this spirit. As a result, he is left disappointed.

            To create this story and tie it together, Goethe used religious and other elements in the story. He used Christian elements, modern science and philosophy to fully put his story together and convey the spirit and desires of human and modern life. He used Christian elements through the usage of spirits, sin and his view towards the heavens. For example, “A musty goddamned hole in the wall where even the golden light of heaven can only weakly make its way through” (106). In this statement, he expresses that only heaven lights can somewhat make it through. This seems like it’s a hint at the sin in human life. Goethe uses modern science in philosophy in this story through Faust’s desire to merge with nature and the universe to obtain more knowledge and his apparent understandings like: “I understand them finally: The spirit world is not barred shut, it’s your closed mind, your dead heart” (107). Faust combines modern science and philosophy through alchemy and his attempts to reach the other side of the world: the spirits. 

Reading Notes W6: Barbauld, Part B

Anna Laetitia Barbauld, “To a little Invisible being who is expected soon to become Visible” and “Eighteen Hundred and Eleven, a Poem” (326-330)

To a Little Invisible being:

·         Is about a child being born

·         This ties into feminists and woman, the power that woman can have.

·         Uses the child to describe that power woman could have if they stepped up and broke societal norms.

·         Example: “Germ of new life, whose power expanding slowly for many a moon their full perfection wait” (327). This is talking about a baby being born but uses it to express the situation that woman, are slowly expanding their power. Typically through breaking societal norms.

·         Example: “What powers lie folded in thy curious frame, - Senses from objects locked, and mind from thought” (327). Just like babies, women have this power they can have in the future but we just don’t know it yet. This refers to the fact that woman are just as mysterious as babies in the power that they can have.

·         The author uses child birth to express how strong woman actually are. Like if they can go through child birth, then women can do practically anything.

·         In a different way of looking at this poem, she also seems to be expressing the differences between a mother and child and the lack of knowing that stranger of a baby: “She longs to fold to her maternal breast part of herself, yet to herself unknown” (327).

Eighteen Hundred and Eleven, a Poem:

·         Addresses the unnecessarily long war and condemns societal wrongs.

·         Also addresses famine and diseases: “Man calls to Famine, nor invokes in vain, Disease and Rapine follow in her train” (328).

·         “Oft o’er the daily page some soft-one bends to learn the fate of husband, brothers, friends, or the spread map with anxious eye explores, its dotted boundaries and penciled shores, asks where the spot that wrecked her bliss is found, and learns its name but to detest the sound” (328). This addresses the wastefulness of war like how these deaths just lead to heartbreak of someone learning of a loved one’s death. She practically states that war only leads to hate and detest by those who lose those people. 

Reading Notes W6: Faust, Part A

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, “Faust” (99-122)

Faust:

·         Is depressed, frustrated and in despair over humanity’s helplessness

·         He is a scholar and alchemist

·         He feels that he exhausted the limits of human understanding: “Oh God, how hard I’ve slaved away, with what result? Poor foolish old man, I’m no whit wiser than when I began” (105).

·         Studied philosophy, laws and medicine, recto and verso and theology.

·         He has a Master of Arts degree and a Ph.D.

·         He feels that he is far more intelligent than others: “Of course I’m far cleverer than those stuffed shirts, These Doctors, M.A.s, Scribes and Priests” (105).

·         He is definitely arrogant.

·         He isn’t afraid of the Devil or Hell.

·         Holds himself to high regard in human life.

·         He feels that he lost his amusement and no longer thinks he is entirely complete until he can merge with nature and the universe.

·         Ex: “So I no longer need to sweat painfully explaining what I don’t know anything about: So I may penetrate the power that holds the universe together, behold the source whence all proceeds and no more torture words, words, words” (106). He definitely wants to obtain a higher power and a higher intelligence than he already has. This wanting is like human nature: where a typical human will just want more and more and more. This definitely places him as being only just a human that’s knowledgeable limits only go so far and as a human who lives off emotions.

·         Wants to be of higher power so he even goes as far as to claim he is equal as a being who knows more than a human and goes to farther places than a human could go: “Faust: We’re equals I know! I feel so close to you, near, you busy spirit ringing everywhere! Spirit: It’s your idea of me you’re equal to, Not me!” (109) This statement from the spirit could be stating that the spirit is so much higher in level than Faust, or a normal human; that humans can’t even comprehend that high level of power and knowledge. 

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Week 5 Analysis: A Close Reading

Feng Menglong, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” (497-517)

            In reading this story, a passage that sticks out to me is the small poem on the very last page: “Do not talk idly of romance if you don’t know the game; a world is hidden there within love’s name. If one knew all of the love that was in love to know, the epithet “romantic” should be thought no cause for shame” (517). This stuck out to me because this phrase practically summarizes the whole point of the story involving love and betrayal. One other reason this stuck out to me is because it is slightly depressing in the fact this poem concludes the fact that this woman died from a love that ended in ruins. One last reason that this stuck out to me is because this poem got me thinking back all the way to the beginning on where their “love” began.

            This passage conveys a sense of depression because it covers the fact that one should not dabble in romance if they do not understand the full meaning behind it. This specifically has me looking back to when Tenth feels betrayed originally when Li is quick to sell her off for money in order to get a connection with his father again. Thus, these actions are making him a deceiver in love. That is why this passage gives off a feeling of depression in the words “Do not talk idly of romance if you do not know the game” (517). It is also depressing because of the fact it connects to the whole story where love leads to destruction where Tenth commits suicide. When reading this poem you can feel the disappointment in the men, Li Jia and Sun Fu; because of the fact this woman died over a deceitful love that was not worthy of her. The disappointment lies with Li Jia because of his deceit towards Tenth when it comes to money. The disappointment lies with Sun Fu because he simply wants Tenth because she is beautiful and not because of love. Therefore, they do not fully understand the world of love. This passage also connects us to the beginning with it words. For example, “Now our young master Li was a dashing fellow who had never before encountered real womanly charms” (501). This sentence is from all the way back to the beginning where he was just beginning to “love”. However, when looking back at these words and connecting it to this poem, I realize that this is foreshadowing the fact that he does not know real love and the fact that he does not handle this real woman well at all throughout the whole story, like him borrowing money from her often or even selling her off. In general, he was never fully immersed in the knowledge of love and was never worthy of Tenth.

            The author fully connects the story with the last line in this poem: “the epithet “romantic” should be thought no cause for shame” (517). This fully connects the story because the whole time, Master Li is under the stress of shame due to the fact he married a “whore”. Throughout the story, he was worried that he would only be shamed by his father for being married to her. Therefore, he went out of his way to find a way for her to be accepted when in reality, if he really loved her then he would not have cared about the shaming of others. Therefore, he never fully understood love and the name of love was only thrown around by many in the story. In conclusion, Romance was simply used without its proper use.

"Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger". The Norton Anthology World Literature, Third Edition, Vol. D. Martin Puchner. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Pages 497-517. Fairfield Medium with the display set in Aperto.

Reading Notes W5: The Story of the Stone, Part B

Cao Xueqin, “The Story of the Stone” (517-540)

Zhen Shiyin:

·         Retired gentlemen

·         Quiet

·         Unambitious

·         Devoted to garden

·         Devoted to wine and poetry

·         Had no son

·         Only had a little girl

·         He is already past 50

·         When in drowsy state, he drifted off into some dream-like state.

·         He leads us to this dream where we seem to be taught some sort of lesson.

Plot of this dream:

·         Zhen listens in on a conversation between a monk and a Taoist.

·         They talk about a stone that: “the stone is destined to find enlightenment by suffering the pains of love, loss, and disillusion as a human being” (519).

·         Tells story of stone that is unused by a goddess, which in turns makes this stone wander towards a place where the fairy Disenchantment lives. There, the Disenchantment was able to tell that the stone was unusual: “gave him the honorary title of Divine Luminescent Stone-in-Waiting in the Court of Sunset Glow” (527).

·         This name could possibly be due to the fact that he was waiting while being unused by a god?

·         The stone found a Crimson Pearl Flower that he watered every day to the point that he gave it life.

·         The flower became a fairy girl that became obsessed with the stone because he gave her a consciousness.

·         Because of this unusual affair between him and this fairy, the Disenchantment decided to send the Crimson Pearl down to the great Illusion of Human Life, along with The Stone. The Monk is to register him to go down and that is why they are having this conversation.

·         Crimson Pearl= group of amorous (or Romantic) young souls.

·         Shiyin steps in and mentions Karma, which are the good and bad deeds that decided the future lives of a soul. In this case, the stone’s affair and past events leading him to go to world of human life: “The great Illusion of Human Life”.

·         Zhen wakes up and later comes across the monk and Taoist after waking up.

·         This dream is to lead into the now human life of the stone.

·         This is where the words “THE LAND OF ILLUSION” on page 528 come into play because it is the starting point of The Stone’s human life. “The LAND OF ILLUSION”= “the great Illusion of Human Life”.

Reading Notes W5: Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger, Part A

Feng Menglong, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” (497-517)

Themes:

1)      Social Class

·         Lia falling to be so poor after spending so long with Tenth.

·         Lia seeing a courtesan is considered to be of the low. It even angers his father: “When the old Commissioner Li back home heard that his son was passing his time whoring in the pleasure district, he repeatedly sent letters calling him back home” (501)

·         The fact that he married a whore, Tenth; makes it hard for their marriage to be accepted and for him to return home with her.

2)      Love

·         Love affair between Lia and Tenth.

·         Their love for each other is what started this story.

·         Tenth’s love for Lia is the reason for money to be lent: “It was not for your sake that I borrowed this money, but rather because I am moved by the sincere feeling of Du Tenth” (505).

·         Lia’s love for Tenth, made him worry about losing her.

·         Love ends in ruins due to men named Sun Fu attempting to steal a woman and Lia Jia who did not recognize Tenth’ devotion. Thus, Tenth committed suicide by jumping in the river.

3)      Wealth/money

·         Money is the only way for them to get by.

·         Money is ticket to Tenth’s freedom: “But there’s just one thing: he’s got to give me the money within three days. I’ll hand you over to him as soon as he hands me the cash” (502).

·         Lia spends all his money to see Tenth and even sold his clothes. Thus this could mean that money is the only way to obtain things.

·         Struggles with money are seen throughout the whole story.

·         Tenth is often giving money to Lia who spends it all. She makes up for what he lacks: money.

·         Money is the only way can to get by like, staying in places or paying for a boat.

·         Sun Fu attempts to buy off Tenth from Lia by telling Lia that he would need the money to get his father to accept him. Example: “with that thousand taels I will have a pretext on which to call on my parents, and you, my dear benefactress, will have someone to rely on” (514).

·         Money leads to Tenth’s demise. She hid a large sum of money throughout the whole story, only to throw it in the river and to jump into the river with what’s left of it.

Note: Du Tenth died because of money, love and betrayal. 

Week 4 Project Action Plan: Attitudes towards Ch'un-Hyang

“From a piece of fiction (short story, section of novel, or a play) choose a female character on whom to focus, and create a project that discusses some of the following questions: “What is the author’s attitude towards her? (how can you tell?) What is your attitude towards her?  How do (at least 2) other characters view her?  How does she view herself?”

Piece of work I have chosen: “The Song of Ch’un-Hyang” (74-89)

Basic Information:

·         Pansori-storytelling in musical form, involves song

·         Author unknown

·         Date of composition unknown

·         Ch’un-Hyang means: Scent of Spring

·         Is a Complex Love Story

·         Struggle of one woman

·         Teaches a lesson

·         She contradicts values of the elite  *important*

Author’s attitude towards her:

·         It is hard to tell what the author’s attitude towards her is since we don’t know who the author is but we can tell somewhat through the way they describes Ch’un-Hyang and through the way she stays persistent on sticking by her chastity and love.

·         Maybe the author views her as a beautiful woman struggling through a time of being away from her man and struggling with society and what other people want of her.

·         The author is trying to prove a point through this stubborn, beautiful, faithful character.

My attitude towards her:

·         I see her as persistent in love

·         Faithful

·         Ex: “On heart undivided, faithful to one husband, one punishment before one year is over, but for one moment I will not change” (84)

·         Strong for sticking through the beatings

·         Knowledgeable of Confucian duties

·         In opinion, I like this character because she is very strong and I get this sense of woman femininity from her when it comes to other men wanting to obtain while she is in love. This is also because she stuck by her ideals throughout the play. She has a strong-head on her shoulders.

The governor’s view of her:

·         Thinks she is very beautiful

·         Sees her more as an object

·         Lusts after her

·         Because he was rejected, he demanded she be beaten: Pg. 83

How chief Kisaeng views her:

·         Sees her as someone who may get her in trouble/a way to get out of trouble

·         Pretty much thinks Ch’un-Hyang shoulder obey people in higher positions no matter the girls ideals

·         Ex: “Come on, Ch’un-hyang, do as you are told! I’m as constant as you are! I’m as chaste as you are! Why are you making such a fuss about being chaste and faithful? Just for the sake of your virtue, you pretty little miss, the whole yamen is in trouble and everybody is likely to lose his job” (81).

How she views herself:

·         She thinks she should stick to her faithfulness and chastity

·         She says: ‘Even a mighty man like Meng Ben could not wrest me from determination to stay a faithful wife and keep the oath...” (82). She sees herself as so in love and faithful that her heart cannot be moved by even the mightiest of men.

·         Stubborn in love

I will use this outline to form my project submission. Each section will have a paragraph of its own. This would be including basic information, but the views of 2 other characters may or may not be a combined paragraph. I may also add another characters view just to add a better perception of this female character and the many views others have on her. I plan to create an understanding of this female character purpose in the author’s ideas. Especially because the author is unknown, this may be a challenge.

"The Song of Ch’un-Hyang". The Norton Anthology World Literature, Third Edition, Vol. D. Martin Puchner. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Pages 74-89. Fairfield Medium with the display set in Aperto.

Week 4 Analysis, a Literary Analysis

Voltaire, “Candide, or Optimism” (352-413)

            The characters in the play make the world of Candide an interesting one that ties into any of the themes portrayed in the story. One character is Candide, who takes the words of a certain philosopher and expands upon them in a not so bright way. This character is particularly naïve, love obsessed with one woman, yet rather good-hearted for this dark story. Another character is Doctor Pangloss who is a philosopher with a rather optimistic view of the world: “Everything is for the best,” which in his view equals a perfect version of the world. He stubbornly sticks by this saying no matter the murder, hangings, death or floggings they come across. Therefore, he symbolizes the useless speculations of Philosopher’s. He is a way for Voltaire to make fun of these Philosophers who use God as an excuse to broaden any speculation they have, like Pangloss’ view. One more character than is important is Cunegonde, who is Candide’s love interest. She is not an entirely complex character but I do think she is an example of what could happen to a Woman back then. However, she is mainly used for the comical love of Candide and the followings of the useless philosophical view that “Everything is for the best”.

            The themes portrayed in this story are the Optimistic views they have are foolish and the philosophical views are entirely useless. Again, we see this through the characters personalities, actions and beliefs. One example of an optimistic view is when Pangloss uses a foolish statement to stay optimistic: “It was all indispensable, replied the one-eyed Doctor, since private misfortunes make for public welfare, and therefore the more private misfortunes there are, the better everything is” (361) This makes absolutely no sense as in wouldn’t misfortunes just equal more bad and not good? I would think so. Plus, how are murder, disembowelment, hangings and disease equal everything being better? I don’t think it would at all!  One example of a useless philosophical view is: “He wanted to dive to his rescue; but the philosopher Pangloss prevented him by proving that the bay of Lisbon had been formed expressly for this Anabaptist to drown in” (362). How does that make any sense? One could just change that fate by jumping in and saving him. Free will is an important matter in life, therefore, free will would save this poor man who died by a useless philosophical statement. This all basically ties into the fact that this story is a satirical story in order to teach a lesson that philosophical speculations are pointless and do not help anyone.

            One context that fits into this story well is the history context of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a time of philosophical ideas being spread through Europe in the eighteenth Century. It was a time of intellectual thinking and philosopher’s spreading views of how the world or anything worked. In this stories case, Voltaire uses the philosophical idea that “everything is for the best” to make fun of philosophical thinking. He basically pointed out that Philosophy was a useless expression of ideas because it was pointless and didn’t help anyone. It seemed that he was also expressing that Philosopher’s used God as an excuse like how Pangloss used God’s perfect world as a way of looking optimistic and explaining the wrong-doings in the world.

Voltaire."Candide, or Optimism". The Norton Anthology World Literature, Third Edition, Vol. D. Martin Puchner. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Pages 352-413. Fairfield Medium with the display set in Aperto.

Reading Notes W4: Candide, Part X

Voltaire, “Candide, or Optimism” (373-413)

Plot:

·         The plot entirely connects to philosophical ideas: “Everything is for the best”. Ironically, they all encounter harsh life: Murder, flogging, rape, death, hanging, etc.

·         This would tie into Optimism by way of thinking everything is for the best, equaling the best version of the world.

·         Every chapter in the story is something that happens from the previous story that leads into something new. This would be cause and effect.

·         Candide sticks by what he was taught throughout the whole story: “I have seen worse; but a wise man, who has since had the misfortune to be hanged, taught me that everything was marvelously well arranged. Troubles are just the shadows in a beautiful picture” (395). This is rather surprisingly because of all the things he has been through. By now, one would have thought that he would have learned differently. However, he does not yet.

·         The ending makes since but is also somehow interesting and surprising. They all talk about their philosophical speculations at this point but it seems like some of them are having a hard time believing them.

·         Pangloss still sticks by his original claim but seems to not believe it. Maybe it is a pride thing. Example: “Pangloss asserted that he had always suffered horribly; but having once declared that everything was marvelously well, he continued to repeat the opinion and didn’t believe a word of it” (412).

·         What also is rather interesting and Ironic is that Cunegonde had the same fate as the old Woman. What was once a rare beauty is now ugly; also both suffered through rape and torment.

·         It is funny that after all their sufferings, they seem to survive and meet up towards the end as if they are all being taught a lesson.

·         Ending: they all live on a farm and garden the rest of their lives. It seems that this is how they achieve peace and no longer look towards their useless Philosophical speculations.

·         It is not a disappointing ending.