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