English & Writing & Grammar, Oh My!

 Between Oroonoko and The Fair Jilt , I'm entirely puzzled by Aphra Behn as an author. In an entirely Swiftian manner, I simply cannot decipher if her writing is meant to be a commentary on unsatisfactory happenings or if she is actually racist and sexist. If you've read my previous blog on Behn, I further explained this situation in relation to The Fair Jilt and the different lenses it can be viewed through. Where Oroonoko is concerned, she could either be explaining the issue of the noble savage concept or genuinely have a type of savior complex by inserting herself into the narrative and humanizing a brutal story. I would be very interested to read different analyses of her works to see if there is an answer hiding in all of this.

 This is how I believe Dr. Primrose from The Vicar of Wakefield would have reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year has by no means been agreeable for our family. My dearest children George, Olivia, and Sophia are quarantined in their respective homes and we are unable to see them. Lovely Arabella has unfortunately contracted the terrible virus, and she has been isolated so as not to affect the children. While I shall never wish ill will so serious as death upon another human, I am not entirely upset that Squire Thornhill has been affected as well; unlike Arabella, his situation looks to be quite possibly fatal. If the virus removes him from this world, my poor Olivia will be relieved of her current hardship of marriage. My two youngest are safe with my wife and I. While the hardships that we are enduring at present are quite difficult, I have no doubts that we shall escape this pandemic with a stronger appreciation for our vitalities and privileges. We shall overcome this yet!

 Perusing Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels , I was thinking about the various ways in which he utilizes satire to discuss political flaws without being attacked. I genuinely laugh out loud thinking about the kind of content that Swift could have produced during this election cycle and over the past year especially. Swift's style is so unique because everything he produces is such a cosmic joke that you don't understand unless you first can understand that it's a joke. If you take him too seriously, everything makes sense in the way that fictional things make sense. But, if you know it's a joke, it makes sense on such an all-encompassing level. I would love it if he could somehow live again for just enough time to be caught up to speed on everything and write something roasting everything happening today. It would truly make 2020 more bearable. 

 As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, I have been reflecting on the various stages of quarantine throughout the year. Some were focused on baking, some obsessed over new Netflix shows. One thing that is undeniably embarrassing is the stage where people hoarded toilet paper like that would somehow save them. In relation to this, I was thinking about A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe. When discussing the scene where the ladies steal the hats, we all laughed at the absurdity of it. Who would steal something so mundane and unnecessary in such a serious situation? Clearly, most of the United States would. I think this is a great example of how easy it is to say how you would react to a situation if you aren't currently in it. People will say things like, "Well, if someone broke into my house I would just x, y, z," when in reality they'd likely hide in a closet. There truly is no way to know how you'll act in a situation until it's happening, and you proba

 Firstly, I would like to allot a moment of silence for you to process the horror that is the title to this blog. *                           * Okay, that seems sufficient. Boswell's London Journal was an absolutely infuriating piece of writing. I don't mean this in the sense of style or writing in general, but I hate Boswell as a character. In the beginning, Boswell states that he shall omit any behavior that seems unbecoming; is he sure? As the story progresses, Boswell does one skeevy thing after the other and doesn't seem to be bothered by his actions at all. While this would seem honest and raw as someone is admitting their faults, it is made quite clear that Boswell doesn't think of these as faults. He essentially thinks that he can do no wrong. If Boswell were around today, he would probably be one of those people that looks at a rape accusation and says "boys will be boys". In my opinion, Boswell needed a strong slap across the face. He was a terrible

 In many of Jane Austen's novels, silence creates or at least perpetuates many conflicts between characters. In Persuasion , this is undeniably true. Sir Walter Elliot does not disclose his excessive spending until his family is forced to rent out Kellynch Hall. Had he been forthcoming with his lack of funds, changes could've been made to avoid that. Everyone is silent about how much they dislike Mary, which allows her to continue her insufferable behavior without a second thought. If Anne had not been silent about her strong feelings for Wentworth, they could have been together sooner. Each character is affected by what the others do or don't say, and only the reader can understand what those choices lead to. If Mrs. Smith had stayed silent, Anne could have lost everything to Mr. Elliot. But, she eventually spoke up. Wentworth eventually spoke up about his feelings for Anne. If he hadn't, he could have ended up with Louisa or someone that wasn't even part of the st

 I was under no assumption that November 3, 2020 would be an easy day by any means. All day, I have been discussing with friends the possibilities of the election and what that would mean for our country. I think that being a college student right now is one of the weirdest experiences possible. We're all freaking out about a possible second civil war, civil rights are being threatened at every turn, and we all have like 7 papers, 5 quizzes, and 10 homework sheets to finish. It is the biggest contrast between extraordinary and mundane experiences, and it's honestly really challenging. I know that this seems menial, but it's taking a mental toll on all of us. Normally, of course, college is difficult. But this amalgamation of circumstances is a different ball game for everyone. This week will absolutely be difficult, especially as results are likely not going to be available immediately. I just hope that we all come out of this okay, or, ideally, better than we are right now

  I am ecstatic that it's finally October. Spooky Season is my favorite, so I'm overjoyed that it's finally here.  One of my favorite things about Fall is Halloween. I especially love watching Halloween movies, but I undoubtedly prefer Disney Channel Original Movies to  horror movies.             Possibly my favorite of these movies ever are the  Halloweentown  movies. Last weekend, I was utterly shocked to learn that my roommates had never seen them. We have since watched the first three, but I am reluctant to show them the fourth as the main character is played by a different actress. That might not seem like a big deal, but it really changes the vibe of the movie. Another one of my favorite aspects of Fall is that it is finally sweater weather. Fall fashion is, in my opinion, way more stylish than Summer fashion. Sweaters just feel like a warm hug and are so soothing and comfortable. And I'd be remiss to leave out comfort foods and drinks. Hot chocolate,

  Every morning when I wake up, I look at my roommate and say, "Today is The Day!" This has somewhat become a joke as I say it literally every single day. At some point in the day we see each other and almost exclusively say, "Today was not The Day." I'm not sure if I started this to intentionally become a joke or as a vie for optimism; regardless, it has become a staple in our apartment. But today I asked myself if it ever really is going to be The Day, and I'm not sure where I find myself with that. Today most certainly was not The Day. On so many different levels, things went absolutely wrong. I truly did wake up this morning with every bit of confidence that it really was going to be today, but I suppose you can't plan for those things. To be entirely frank, I don't actually know how today could have gone any worse. I'm unbelievably drained and I still have so much to get done. I know everyone feels that way, but it isn't always easy to r

 In high school, I had an art teacher that often said something that always stuck with me: "Life sucks and then you die." This often reminded me of the sentiment that the only certain things in life are death and taxes. Every time I get a paycheck, I look at the amount removed by taxes and automatically get sad. I think about how much we pay in taxes and how much of that is wasted on things that the government doesn't even tell us about. Another thing I think about are the necessities that we all pay for that taxes could be going towards, and I don't mean food and water. Obviously, I think that food insecurity is a tragically common issue, but that is not the discussion that I will focus on today. The issue that I would like to focus on is tampons. In many states, tampons and other feminine hygiene products that are undeniably necessary are taxed. Firstly, these products are extremely overpriced for something so crucial. Secondly, do you know what product isn't ta

DISCLAIMER: This most definitely makes approximately zero (0) sense, so I suggest turning back if that is unsatisfactory to you. People often discuss the possibility that we're living in a simulation or the matrix or what have you. I think that to an extent we all deny that, but you can never be entirely certain. To that part of you, I direct this thought: what if we are all living in a giant snow globe? I know this sounds foolish, and to be entirely honest it absolutely is. Logistically, it is entirely nonsensical. But wouldn't you rather believe that it's the truth? Just to keep a sparkle of magic alive? The alternative is to believe that we are on a giant rock hurtling through space, which you must admit isn't exactly thrilling. In the end, does it really matter what our reality is? A simulation, a sitcom, a snow globe, a rock, a movie- what does that change? Does it change how we choose to live? Does it change our possibilities? If you knew that you were living in a

 This semester, I am taking a course in American Sign Language. I've wanted to learn ASL for years but never had the opportunity before now. Taking this class, I have generated several opinions that I will now share. 1. The amount of facial expressions required in ASL is utterly impressive. I can't lie, I'm extremely timid with my expressions as I'm in an online class with about fifteen people that I've never met signing for the first time in our lives. However, it truly is astounding the difference that facial expressions make. Like the intonation of someone's voice, they can indicate a question, emotion, sarcasm, etc. Watching experienced people sign is mesmerizing, and I think that someone that signs well will always impress me. 2. Learning to sign is criminally underrated. ASL is a language, so of course it takes some practice to learn. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't be learning it. In the U.S., approximately 600,000 people are deaf and only abo

As it stood, it was not only a house but an heirloom in the making, a crest  . It was not a house of excess or extravagance, but it was perfect for the two that would call it home. Their journey was just beginning, the one that generations would come to know as their history, their roots.  In 1955, the house was completed: the bright red roof, the exposed concrete between bricks, the lamp that would one day flicker as a beacon for bedtime  .  The knotty pine left its farm-side view for that of four walls; it snaked its way through the living room, down the hall, under the bed, in the closet,   and anywhere else the eye might dare to search for it.     The structure itself seemed to become the tree that warped around it. The house became its new roots and, as this tree's growth came to an end, a new one gained life. The multiplication of inhabitants occurred steadily year by y

Mary East swore to forever remain single after the man that she loved was ripped away from her. She sought comfort from another young girl that had also sworn off men, and they found that comfort in each other. The two connected on a deep level, and they decided to live out the rest of their lives together; they knew it would be impossible as they were both young women, so they decided to change that. After flipping a coin, it was decided that 16-year-old Mary would begin a new life as James How. She dressed and lived as James, and the couple generated an honest living. The pair never let people into their house, “they never kept either maid or boy, but Mary East, the late James How, always used to draw beer, serve, fetch in and carry out pots always herself, so peculiar were they in each particular.” This was difficult, but it allowed them to live the way that they truly wanted. Unfortunately, James was later extorted by a woman named Mrs. B. This woman had known James when he still p

 Aphra Behn's The Fair Jilt details young, beautiful Miranda's exploits as she ruins people around her to fit her fancy. At the beginning of the work, Miranda is portrayed as a frivolous girl with simply far too many options to settle down. Cupid supposedly curses her to fall in love with someone she simply cannot have as a punishment. However, this "punishment" barely phases her. She puts in some work and is still kindly denied, so she ruins Henrick's life. He remains composed and does not even attempt to rectify is wrongful imprisonment. When Van Brune is put to death because of her, he is apologetic for failing his assassination rather than devastated that he was about to die. No matter what Miranda did, Prince Tarquin stayed at her side. Miranda was constantly in the wrong, and no one ever seemed to hold it against her. Was she entirely wrong, though? Truthfully, she did not force anyone's fate except for the friar. Was she a ruthless gold digger or a fem