In Response to Montaigne

I too savored the unique metaphors and descriptive sentences. I particularly favored how Death continually interchanged his sense. He could see words and see music. Why not us unorthodox descriptive words. It gave these scenes more meaning as it punctuated the importance of said words and music. If the sound is powerful enough and we let our mind relax, words and notes can be witnessed spewing out of the conductor. I also liked how Death always took time to describe the sky. He used odd nouns to describe the heavens, "There are skies manufactured by people, punctured and leaking, and there are soft, coal-colored clouds, beating like black hearts". The simple uniqueness of that sentence astonishes me and every time I peruse it, a slightly different image or felling overwhelms me. Who would honestly portray the sky as being manufactured by people and punctured and leaking? Death of course, only Death would see the world in such a way.

In Response to Oedipus

I agree with the statement that Hans Hubermann played the vital role that allowed Liesel to become more at home and comforted when she initially came to be at 33 himmel street. Through his kindness and selflessness Liesel came to love him the most. He continually woke her up from her nightmares and made everything alright in her life. He was even more of an older friend or sibling at times, especially when he let her get away with little things and promised, "I won't tell mama". Regardless of whether or not Hans took in Liesel to replace the absence of his real children, he still loved her. This affection is apparent when Liesel refers to papa's eyes as silver. The feeling of Silver eyes is comforting. Silver is the color of confidence and competence. It bestows a wiser and more intriguing view of the nature of papa. The proof that Liesel loved papa the most came at the end of the book when Liesel was crying over the corpses of her foster parents. She couldn't bring herself to look at her papa, " Papa. She would not, and could not, look at Papa. Not yet. Not now". Liesel loved him so dearly that she physically couldn't stand to witness his inert body. She simply loved him too much.

the Book Thief #1

My favorite scenes in the book were always the ones where Liesel is in the Mayor's wife's library. I especially enjoyed the soft spoken relationship that Liesel and Ilsa shared. Ilsa quietly sat in the desk while Liesel read away and few words were rarely spoken but they still had a mutual friendship. I smiled as I watched Liesels thirst for books grow and develop and the tense dramatic scenes where she is quietly snatching a book of her own were ones to savor. More was also learned about the soft spoken character of Ilsa Hermann when she kindly allows Liesel to steal her books and even lays out cookies for her by the window. However I cringed when Liesel relentlessly ranted at Ilsa about her foolishness and absurdity to suffer for her son and so forth. This was a key reaction, for then I realized that these two characters had a meaningful relationship. Also the ghost of Liesel's Brother symbolized the state of the relationship. As Liesel angrily told off Ilsa Hermann, Werner was cast aside and scraped his knee. The injury of his knee represents the state of their relationship at that moment, tense and torn apart. Yet as time progressed, and as each visit to the Mayors house passed by, the boy's knee was said to be scabbed over and healing. This again represents the reconciled feelings of Liesel to Ilsa and they are again friends once more.

Van Gogh

a setting sun

1.

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a. There is a shadowy figure in the foreground.

b. A twisty, single tree is standing beside the figure.

c. The vanishing point appears to be on the far left of the painting

d. A type of road continues to the vanishing point.

e. There is a type of dwelling in the background

f. Mellow shades of yellow, orange, brown, red and green are used.

2. How is the painting put together?

Lines- Everything from straight and unmoving lines, to curvy and slightly irregular lines are used. Most of the lines are implied, resulting from multiple contrasting colors. The outline of the sun could be classified as a psychic line, meaning it results from a distortion of the surrounding sky. The horizon is the longest horizontal line and the outline of the tree is the longest vertical line. Otherwise, most of the other lines are short-dashed segments of color.

Color- The different hues include, yellow, yellow-green, red-orange, brown, and blue. Most of the colors are primaries, like yellow. Yellow shares half the stage with the darkened greens, blues, and reds, underneath the horizon. This painting is noticeably divide in half with the use of these contrasting colors. However, as they do contrast, the colors are still within the same realm of intensity and so they are a harmonious match in that sense. I think with these colors the painting has a soothing feel. The dark color is used to emphasize the figures presence and to bring in mind the question of who exactly the figure is and what their intentions are.

Shapes-The most obvious shape is the huge circular sun, but the elongated rectangles of the fields in the background also put the painting together.

Space- The space is definitively non-two dimensional. It has extreme depth and appears as if the viewer could walk all the way to the horizon. The vanishing point also aids in bringing about depth. Because the figure appears to be emerging from the vanishing point it gives the sense that the viewer could also enter into the scene and walk down the distant road.

Lighting- Because the figure and the back of the tree are shrouded in darkness, the viewer is directly facing the light source. The light contributes to the mood by giving life and warmth to the scene.

Space- The painting is evenly spaced. The dark figure and tree balance the painting laterally and the brilliant sky and toned down earth balance the painting vertically.

The mood of the painting is soothing. This mood is achieved through the easy-going, harmonious colors, simplistic shapes, intense lighting, and a sense of symmetry.

School of Athens

By Raphael

1510-1511

Brutus

In the beginning of Julius Caesar Brutus is in turmoil between doing what he thinks is best for Rome and being loyal to Caesar. "Vexed I am of late with passions of some difference, conceptions only proper to myself, which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors." Brutus is explaining to Cassius that he is distraught with himself and the fact Caesar is rising to power. These, he is saying, are responsible for his unusual actions. Brutus strives to maintain his nobility and honorable position in society and will do anything for the good of Rome. His overall ambitions are driven by his love of the Roman Empire. However Cassius persuades Brutus, quiet easily, to turn over to the conspirators' side and eliminate Caesar from power. Cassius used Brutus' love of Rome to convince him that eradicating Caesar would be for the better. I thought Brutus was the most intriguing because he is a man willing to cut down another man, who has not personally wronged him, simply to aid a greater cause. On one hand I want to believe he should be highly venerated, but on the other I think he can't fully think for himself and can easily be persuaded. However Brutus was still a good man wanting to do the right thing. He firmly stood by his belief and even carried it with him to battle. Near the end Brutus reverts back to his original stance on things, "Caesar, now be still, I kill'd not thee with half so good a will." He now realizes that his motives for killing Caesar were weak and that his own death is the only logical outcome.

Most Political figures represent Brutus in one way or another. They are highly influenced by outside forces, whether this be companies, organizations or their constituents. They all want to do the right thing to help our nation and due to the multitude of view points, their actions will be perceived as right or wrong in one way or another. But overall politicians want to do the right thing just as Brutus wanted to ensure a bright future for the Roman Empire.

The Allegory of the Cave

1. The shadows that move along the visible wall of the cave represent a false sense of reality. The prisoners have never known the origin of theses shadows so they have taken them as actual objects of their world. They truly signify our misguided beliefs resulting from our failure to ponder and contemplate the world around us. These shadows are a shallow pond compared to the vast ocean of the world. Equally comparable would be our prior concept of the world. We believed the world was the center of the solar system and all other bodies orbited around us. Then philosophers came up with the idea that the sun was the center and the Earth and other planets rotated around it. On a first glance to the untrained eye, it would appear that the stars were orbiting around us. This incorrect conjecture is exactly what the shadows on the cave wall exemplify, a false notion of the surrounding world. A more recent example would be the story of the stork and where children believe babies come from. They are misguided, until they reach out and try to grasp the reality of where they really com from. These illusions misguide us in our everyday lives.

2. Another illusion we face daily is the altered images we perceive on billboards, magazines and other advertising tools. These advertisements feature men and women who are airbrushed and altered to near perfection. Perfection that absolutely no one can naturally achieve. These are shadows because of the false sense of beauty and perfection that are illustrated everywhere. The truth is that no one truly looks like this and the companies that pay for these ads, are only worried about the money people will pay in hopes of achieving these concepts of pure beauty.

3. Shadows influence society in negative ways. As a whole, society is crafted into believing false concepts of reality. Shadows narrow our thinking to a limited space which makes it impossible for us to gaze at the "bigger picture" in life. In the beauty industry they illustrate what the ideal women should look like but can never attain. If we trust these shadows society will be wrongly informed and we will eventually loose sight on life around us.