Sunday, June 16, 2013
Last Post
What did you learn about yourself as a reader from creating and keeping up with your blog?
Well, I ended up having to write up my ideas, so I ended up realizing I actually do have some sort of thought process as I read books. I usually just think of myself reading a book and just doing that, reading it. This blog kind of helped me think more in a way that I want to think instead of the way that would get me a good grade. It also helped me think more about my books and actually have an opinion instead of just sucking up information.
Is writing online different than in a notebook? In what ways?
It is definitely different blogging than writing in a notebook. For one, kids can't just do their blogs during the classes before ELA, they actually have to put in the effort to do the blog the night before or just not do it. Secondly, there's a whole new environment to it. I personally find writing long responses in a notebook more tedious, and since I prefer typing any old day, I very much enjoy typing up the responses instead. There's also the fact that their is an audience, as in others see your thoughts, not just your teachers, as it's easier to look online than to pass around a notebook.
Do you think that people are more real online or do we create online personalities that project the best of ourselves? Or something else?
I think it depends on the person. Some people just try to get themselves to be shown in the best light possible, so I doubt they wouldn't do the same online. Some people feel more free, and act differently than they would in real life because they feel as if the internet is some sort of place where they can be whoever they want and not have to deal with the real world. I personally am more cautious on the internet because, although my identity is hidden, so are others on the internet, and you never know how these online people may truly act.
Do you think that teenagers abuse the freedom that being online gives you on sites like Facebook? Do people type things they would never say to a person's face? Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Why?
Yes. I absolutely think that teenagers abuse the online freedom they are given. Just look at sites like Deviantart, where lots of young teens are stealing art and getting caught for it. Some people think that because they do something on the internet, they won't get caught for it. And of course there are plenty of people who type up what they would never say in real life. I've had tons of online conversations that are a lot more "deep" and addressing towards problems than in real life. But people don't always just say good things, or solve problems online. There are always those people who say mean things and beat down others. I personally think this is a bad thing. People are hiding themselves when they talk online, and though it may be easier, it's better to be open and with someone in real life than online. You never truly know what another is thinking, and if you talk to them in person, you can get more emotions than what you get online.
Can you imagine yourself keeping up this blog or creating another one? What would it be about? What's your opinion of blogs in general and why?
I don't really know. Maybe I would. But if anything, it would just be about me, and my own personal thoughts and opinions and art and stuff. I think blogs are a good way to have intellectual conversations, and to meet people who have differing or the same opinions as yours. It's a broader way to have a meeting of minds.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Romeo and Juliet
Terri
Thampan
M.S.51 804 English Language Arts
The Dangers of Love
Love
is usually portrayed as a good thing. It’s made out to be something that is
needed in order to survive. But, not always is it portrayed in this positive
view. In William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”, he portrays love as
something that leads to depression and/or self-destruction. Shakespeare shows
that platonic love, as well as romantic love, leads to tragedy.
Shakespeare uses the romantic love between
Romeo and Juliet to show love in a negative light. Romeo and Juliet’s love is
the main plot of the story, but it is also the cause for them to face much
grief. When Romeo is exiled from Verona, both are heartbroken and depressed by
the news, thinking that they will never see each other again. Juliet voices her
grief by saying, “O God, I have an ill-divining soul! / Methinks I see thee,
now thou art so low, / As one dead in the bottom of a tomb. / Either my eyesight
fails of thou lookest pale.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.5.54-57) and, “Wash they his
wounds with tears? Mine shall be/ spent, / when theirs are dry, for Romeo’s
banishment.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.2.141-143) Romeo also talks of his pain by
saying, “Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel. / Wert thou as young
as I, Juliet thy love, / An hour but married, Tybalt murdered, / Doting like me,
and like me banished, / the mightiest thou tear thy/ hair/ and fall upon the ground
as I do now.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.3.67-73) They are both very much affected
negatively by the forced separation. This love for each other causes them to
feel depressed, possibly mad (in Romeo’s case), and full of grief over the
thought of never seeing each other again. The burden of knowing that she will
never see her love again (and that she will be forced to marry another man)
causes Juliet to desire for death. Friar Lawrence prevents Juliet from committing
suicide by devising a plan to reunite the two lovers. This plan involves Juliet
staging her own death and then having Romeo come and whisk her away from the
tomb (as she is still alive and only pretending to be dead) so they can live a fulfilling
life full of love and each other far from Verona. Unfortunately, the
perpetration of this plan went disastrously, and ends with the untimely demise
of both young lovers.
Shakespeare also uses the one sided
romantic love Romeo had for Rosaline to show how love can attribute to causing
unhappiness, and one’s path in destroying themselves. Before Romeo had met his
beloved Juliet, he was infatuated with a woman named Rosaline. Rosaline had
dedicated her life to celibacy (which causes speculation on her becoming a
nun), which meant she was not swayed by Romeo’s advances. Seeing that his love
was not reciprocated caused Romeo to fall into a depression in which he would
stay locked in his room in the dark and only goes outside to wander around
idly. He tells his friend Benvolio, “In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.”
(Romeo and Juliet 1.1.212) and "She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow
/ Do I live dead that live to tell it now" (Romeo and Juliet 1.1.223-224)
This negative change in demeanor causes Romeo’s friends to worry for him, and
so they try to make him forget about Rosaline. “By giving liberty unto thin
eyes. / Examine other beauties.” (Romeo and Juliet 1.1.235-236) says Benvolio.
Benvolio tells Romeo to go to the feast where he will see someone far better
than Rosaline, “But in that crystal scales let there be weighed/ Your lady’s
love against some other maid/ That I will show you shining at the feast, / And
she shall scant show well that now seems best.” (Romeo and Juliet 1.3.103-105)
Romeo’s friends take him to Capulet ball where he falls for Juliet. Romeo’s
failing love leads him not only to depression, but to the love that ends his
life.
Shakespeare also shows the sadness caused by
platonic love through the mediums of Mercutio and Lady Montague. In the play,
Mercutio is believed to be one of Romeo’s dearest friends. When Romeo’s honor
is insulted, he gets into a brawl with Tybalt. But I’ll be hanged, sir, if he wear your
livery. / Marry, go before to field, he’ll be your follower. / Your worship in
that sense may call him “man.” (Romeo and Juliet 3.1.58-60) His love for his
friend caused him (Mercutio) to be slain. Lady Monatgue, the mother of Romeo,
dies as well from love. In the play, she is said to have died from grief over
the exile of her son. “Alas, my leige, my wife is dead tonight. / Grief of my
son’s exile hath stopped her breath” (Romeo and Juliet 5.3.218-219) The
platonic love both held for Romeo ended up being the reason for their demise.
Romeo and Juliet is a story that shows the
dangers of love. Love, which is often shown as something good, is instead
portrayed as something destructive and harmful. But as human beings, we all
crave for love at one point in our lives. Despite the devastating endings it
causes, it’s a beautiful thing while it lasts. It might just be in our nature,
the ability to love and to be loved might just be what makes us human. Love is
important in all lives, no matter how positively or negatively it affects us.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
The Vampire Lestat
The Vampire Lestat
By: Anne Rice
So I finished the second book in the Vampire Chronicles. I absolutely loved it. It's a very nicely paced book with some dragging bits, but even then that was just my impatience to get back to the main story line and the dragging bits were still interesting enough to read.
This book really expanded on much of what was given in the last book. It expanded not only on the world it takes place in, but also upon the character Lestat. For some weird reason, I liked him in the first book. And as I read on, I started liking him even more. He's not a heartless, cruel character as Louis first perceives, in fact, he's a very rash and outgoing kind of guy, a very Gryffindor kind of guy who has this "King of the World" sort of attitude.
What I really enjoyed about this book was that you did learn more about the Vampire World. Louis, he's simply trying to find a purpose for existence, proof of our meaning, and of vampire meaning. He actually doesn't find many answers. Lestat, now he's the guy bumbling around having fun. We learn of how he meets Armand, his relationship with Gabrielle, and his later search for the Ancient Vampire Marius.
What I think I liked the most though was the relationship between Lestat and Gabrielle. Gabrielle is Lestat's mother, and he has always had a deep connection with her. He was the only one Gabrielle could relate to and love in a family full of a husband and children whom she couldn't connect with. She actually tells her son (Lestat) that she likes to think of him as her man self. I really love how Gabrielle and Lestat's relationship is strong not only because they are mother and son, but because they had only each other as like minded individuals when they were with their family. They ended up supporting each other and helping each other survive in a place they didn't belong. And when Lestat makes a decision that I won't reveal due to spoilers, their relationship only becomes stronger; and I feel it's a very beautiful portrayal of a Mother and Son as even though they drift apart, they still held each other strong before and they still love and care for one another.
Gabrielle also shows the weakness that women were given in those time periods. They weren't considered strong, or independent. They were weak things to be ordered around. I hated to read about when Gabrielle would dress as a man and travel because I felt it was so anti-feminist. But then again, she was raised in such an anti-feminist culture, and so having the persona of a man can finally free her of her inhibitions.
Though these books sort of make me wonder. Wasn't being gay just recently accepted? From the way most women are portrayed in this book (except for the few we see, they aren't strong or they're boring and predictable), it's easy to see that guys would most likely be attracted to another guy for an intellectual level, especially if women don't have any personality. Anyways, if being gay wasn't really accepted back then, wouldn't people be a bit more... disgusted towards the actions some of the guys do in public? Or was it just a common occurrence? Maybe they didn't think guys could be gay. Maybe they were all secretly gay... I don't know. Ah well. It will forever be one of the mysteries of life.
By: Anne Rice
So I finished the second book in the Vampire Chronicles. I absolutely loved it. It's a very nicely paced book with some dragging bits, but even then that was just my impatience to get back to the main story line and the dragging bits were still interesting enough to read.
This book really expanded on much of what was given in the last book. It expanded not only on the world it takes place in, but also upon the character Lestat. For some weird reason, I liked him in the first book. And as I read on, I started liking him even more. He's not a heartless, cruel character as Louis first perceives, in fact, he's a very rash and outgoing kind of guy, a very Gryffindor kind of guy who has this "King of the World" sort of attitude.
What I really enjoyed about this book was that you did learn more about the Vampire World. Louis, he's simply trying to find a purpose for existence, proof of our meaning, and of vampire meaning. He actually doesn't find many answers. Lestat, now he's the guy bumbling around having fun. We learn of how he meets Armand, his relationship with Gabrielle, and his later search for the Ancient Vampire Marius.
What I think I liked the most though was the relationship between Lestat and Gabrielle. Gabrielle is Lestat's mother, and he has always had a deep connection with her. He was the only one Gabrielle could relate to and love in a family full of a husband and children whom she couldn't connect with. She actually tells her son (Lestat) that she likes to think of him as her man self. I really love how Gabrielle and Lestat's relationship is strong not only because they are mother and son, but because they had only each other as like minded individuals when they were with their family. They ended up supporting each other and helping each other survive in a place they didn't belong. And when Lestat makes a decision that I won't reveal due to spoilers, their relationship only becomes stronger; and I feel it's a very beautiful portrayal of a Mother and Son as even though they drift apart, they still held each other strong before and they still love and care for one another.
Gabrielle also shows the weakness that women were given in those time periods. They weren't considered strong, or independent. They were weak things to be ordered around. I hated to read about when Gabrielle would dress as a man and travel because I felt it was so anti-feminist. But then again, she was raised in such an anti-feminist culture, and so having the persona of a man can finally free her of her inhibitions.
Though these books sort of make me wonder. Wasn't being gay just recently accepted? From the way most women are portrayed in this book (except for the few we see, they aren't strong or they're boring and predictable), it's easy to see that guys would most likely be attracted to another guy for an intellectual level, especially if women don't have any personality. Anyways, if being gay wasn't really accepted back then, wouldn't people be a bit more... disgusted towards the actions some of the guys do in public? Or was it just a common occurrence? Maybe they didn't think guys could be gay. Maybe they were all secretly gay... I don't know. Ah well. It will forever be one of the mysteries of life.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
IWTV: LAST POST *most likely will contain SPOILERS*
Interview With the Vampire
by: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
I have finally finished Interview With the Vampire, and BOY, am I happy! It's kind of a depressing ending, but since I'm reading the second book in the series I don't care as much! So like, I know before I didn't really go into depth with the whole Lestat/Louis thing that I was TOTALLY shipping before, and maybe I'll go into it now.
Well, anyways, Louis makes a new vampire who will be like Claudia's surrogate mother as she's totally obsessed with Claudia, cause he own kid who looked like Claudia died as a child, all because Claudia wanted someone to stay with her because she knew Louis would leave her for Armand (ugh). So then, they live together for a little while, and don't truly meet up with the coven of vampires "lead" by Armand, and so that coven gets all angry 'cause they never met Madeline or however you spell her name (same pronunciation), and they feel a bit threatened. This causes them to break into the shared hotel suit that the three live in and kidnap them. They end up killing Maddie and Claudia by trapping them outside in the sun. Lestat was there at some point, and though his part wasn't truly THAT important, it was nice to know he still loved Claudia as a daughter and didn't really want her dead (though she tried to murder him multiple times...). Louis loses his humanity through this and like he talks to Lestat who cries a lot. As in A LOT! And so, Lestat is suffering from old age in the mind, and Louis goes off with Armand in the sunset, only to soon find out things aren't truly roses and rainbow unicorn poop with Armand. He pretty much ends his little tale there and drinks the blood of the kid he's telling the story to, though not exactly killing him.
WOW! Long summary there, sorry! But as I was reading the ending of this book and started reading the next book, my feelings for Louis started to change. I sort of found him a bit of a jerk, in some sense. Though I can't really explain it, I feel that as wise as he is, and how experienced, he doesn't truly try to understand the people he's labelled as good and bad, he's not really... a strong character. As I think of him, I feel like he's kind of weak, and as I read through the second book I, who was weirdly enough fond of Lestat despite the horrible things Louis described him as, I just started loving Lestat's character more and more. I feel like, once you start a different character's account of things, you just truly hear the story again in a new way, and the story doesn't seem like the same story. I mean, it shouldn't, but as a person who can't reread books that much, unless I truly enjoyed them, to reread someone's version of a tale I already heard means they have to be "fresh" with it. And as time goes on, I probably will like Lestat the most, even though people try to make themselves to be the best people ever, when you write a true account, you end up writing your true character, because if you still believe something is right, it doesn't matter what others might think, you think it's the right way to go, and people who disagree learn more about your flaws.
Okay, enough about the next book which I love so much! The whole Louis/Lestat thing. I liked it because when you first see these characters, it's Lestat clearly having an interest with Louis. And Louis in turn is also interested in Lestat enough that he ended up becoming a vampire. But it's not just that, I feel like to Lestat, they were playing Husband and Wife, or living it that way. Louis, he was just bitter about everything, but to Lestat, he wanted Louis to be happy. Though Louis felt Lestat was only trying to use him to earn money, so that may be as to why he never truly seemed to realize Lestat wanted him happy. The whole turning Claudia scene, Louis felt like Lestat was mocking him, to me, it was Lestat trying to give Louis something he though Louis wanted. I feel like he thought Louis was lonely and wanted a child, which again made me think of the whole husband and wife thing as Lestat, "Husband", wants Louis, "The Wife", to be happy, with children. ;p
Then they freaking raise a child together! LOUIS/LESTAT is being screamed out! Husband and Wife have been turned to Father and Mother or Daddy and Daddy! They have this whole little family and it's so cute! I just sort of agree with Lestat that Claudia is a bit spoiled, and I loved how Lestat was saying she needed a brother... heheheheheheheehehehehe. Anyways, I really thought it was cute how whenever Lestat was happy, he would force Louis to go with him to see shows and go to dinners. It's like the husband taking the wife out for a nice treat... though Louis wasn't really appreciative. I guess I can also understand why Lestat was fascinated by the musician because of book two, but I'll say that in my next blog post. Anyways, I really do like the whole Lestat/Louis shipping, even if it appears to be onesided. :<
Thursday, April 11, 2013
IWTV: Shippings Y'all *Spoilers*
Interview With the Vampire
By: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
So, recently a lot of stuff happened in my book. Like the attempted Murders of Lestat! We still don't know if he's survived the last murder "attempt" as in he hasn't made another appearance yet to say that he's still alive. Claudia and Louis go around looking for other vampires; find some that are absolutely barbaric (as in they just attack and kill and don't even seem to be capable of thought); go back to France, this time Paris, and meet some vampires that can actually think!
So as I read on, I started to realize that my suspicions about the book were slowly being answered. This book is about gay vampires. I thought so. I was sort of rooting for Lestat and Louis as like they had a kid together (A.k.a Claudia)! Also, Louis is starting to take back his harsh judgments about Lestat. Then, the whole Armand (the oldest vampire in the vampire group that can think) is in love with Louis made me think one thing; Louis is a player. He is capturing hearts left and right! And he's not even trying! Plus, he actually is a very thoughtful character, as he is a very human vampire.
What I really wanted to talk about was Claudia. Claudia was turned at a very young age. She will forever remain a child because of that. And though her body stays the same, her mind is starting to grow. She grows enough to try and kill one of her father figures, and that's when we first find out that Claudia isn't truly a little girl. She's intelligent and is on a quest for knowledge about her kind. And then, when her hopes are crushed by the barbarians she finds in Europe, and the mindless socialites (mindless in the sense as they don't truly think deeply, they aren't that intelligent, they're just like nobles who think themselves better than everyone else) apart from Armand who apparently just wants her dead, and that causes her to grow too in a sense. She starts acting different, and she starts displaying maturity in a different way.
I find it a saddening thing, what has happened to Claudia. It would come eventually, but she soon becomes a woman. And the sad thing is, she is a woman in a child's body. She has never experienced life, for she was dead before she could truly live. She is stuck as a child, and longs for what she cannot have. What she sees are women who are much younger than her (She's been a vampire for quite a while) who have bodies that she herself wants and longs for. She wants to look like an adult so that people stop treating her as a child. It's really easy to relate to her, as in most kids want to be treated equally with adults, especially teenagers. This is a woman who is older than most adults alive, but because she is in the body of a child, she is treated as a child, and no one truly takes her seriously. I myself feel for Claudia because she finds that her state is fragile and needs to be protected and somewhat useless as it can't truly fight, for she has such tiny appendages (I think she was turned at the age around 6 years). This longing for a better, more mature body is what drives her to hate Louis as much as she loves him. It's a very sad thing, and a very unhappy ending. I guess for vampires, long lives can make one unhappy, and then unhappy endings arise from an ever growing and maturing mind.
By: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
So, recently a lot of stuff happened in my book. Like the attempted Murders of Lestat! We still don't know if he's survived the last murder "attempt" as in he hasn't made another appearance yet to say that he's still alive. Claudia and Louis go around looking for other vampires; find some that are absolutely barbaric (as in they just attack and kill and don't even seem to be capable of thought); go back to France, this time Paris, and meet some vampires that can actually think!
So as I read on, I started to realize that my suspicions about the book were slowly being answered. This book is about gay vampires. I thought so. I was sort of rooting for Lestat and Louis as like they had a kid together (A.k.a Claudia)! Also, Louis is starting to take back his harsh judgments about Lestat. Then, the whole Armand (the oldest vampire in the vampire group that can think) is in love with Louis made me think one thing; Louis is a player. He is capturing hearts left and right! And he's not even trying! Plus, he actually is a very thoughtful character, as he is a very human vampire.
What I really wanted to talk about was Claudia. Claudia was turned at a very young age. She will forever remain a child because of that. And though her body stays the same, her mind is starting to grow. She grows enough to try and kill one of her father figures, and that's when we first find out that Claudia isn't truly a little girl. She's intelligent and is on a quest for knowledge about her kind. And then, when her hopes are crushed by the barbarians she finds in Europe, and the mindless socialites (mindless in the sense as they don't truly think deeply, they aren't that intelligent, they're just like nobles who think themselves better than everyone else) apart from Armand who apparently just wants her dead, and that causes her to grow too in a sense. She starts acting different, and she starts displaying maturity in a different way.
I find it a saddening thing, what has happened to Claudia. It would come eventually, but she soon becomes a woman. And the sad thing is, she is a woman in a child's body. She has never experienced life, for she was dead before she could truly live. She is stuck as a child, and longs for what she cannot have. What she sees are women who are much younger than her (She's been a vampire for quite a while) who have bodies that she herself wants and longs for. She wants to look like an adult so that people stop treating her as a child. It's really easy to relate to her, as in most kids want to be treated equally with adults, especially teenagers. This is a woman who is older than most adults alive, but because she is in the body of a child, she is treated as a child, and no one truly takes her seriously. I myself feel for Claudia because she finds that her state is fragile and needs to be protected and somewhat useless as it can't truly fight, for she has such tiny appendages (I think she was turned at the age around 6 years). This longing for a better, more mature body is what drives her to hate Louis as much as she loves him. It's a very sad thing, and a very unhappy ending. I guess for vampires, long lives can make one unhappy, and then unhappy endings arise from an ever growing and maturing mind.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Interview with the Vampire AGAIN
Interview with the Vampire
By: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
So like, I'm back to reading this book! Yay me! Now that I've begun rereading it (I've started off a bit before the part where I left off before so I could get back into the book)I started to realize things I didn't realize before. During my many adventures on youtube, I learned that the very idea of what a vampire does is considered sexual and dark. Apparently one of the first vampires pretty much turned away from God and the church because his wife committed suicide and they couldn't bury her there because she died by suicide or something like that. The person also explained about how sexual the very concept of elongating fangs piercing flesh and bodily liquids being swapped was a very sexual thing. The person also recommended the Anne Rice series and so, knowing that I had enjoyed it before (before the gore-ishness got to me, I can probably cope now) I decided to read it again. Well, I wasn't so naive as I was before.
As I started reading the book, I suddenly got a taste of how erotic, as the back cover would say, the book is. After reading "Pride and Prejudice" I found the book much easier to read and more fun to enjoy, as it had a very beautiful writing style that I hope one day to also obtain. Though, reading this one line made me want to burst out laughing, as it was describing Lestat drinking the blood from a human boy. Now, it's not that the scene is funny, but it was written in such an erotic way, I being a teenager was helpless from the giggles. Showing the line to my fellows/classmates, I got pretty, let's say "Loud", responses. Most of them took the whole sentence the wrong way and completely thought I was reading... porn.
Well, despite my embarrassment, it really brings up a valid point. Anne Rice had a very good reason to write the drinking of blood in such an erotic way. It was to show how intimate it was to take the blood of another. It brought up how intimate vampires as creatures are. They live off the very liquid life essence of a human. In taking the human's blood, or even an animal's blood, they sort of become one with that creature, they take that creature into themselves, and it's as if that creature becomes a part of them. It reminds me of the anime/manga Bleach where when a hollow tries to become stronger, it has to eat other souls and hollows to survive, to take that Hollow's power and make it their own by eating it and making it become a part of itself.
Though with a hollow, all they have to do in their time is kill or be killed. They can't really do anything besides that for entertainment and it makes me wonder what would happen if a hollow finally killed and absorbed the last remaining hollow by itself. What would it do then? There would be nothing left to fight, and then would it die without a reason for existence? Though, it probably wouldn't happen, as hollows are made from spirits of humans who stay too long in the human world or something like that, Bleach got very confusing after a while and wasn't truly planned out, making many of the points made earlier in the show not make sense as new info keeps popping up. But the same sort of applies to vampires. They live off seducing, as most of the time they do seduce their victims, humans, and getting intimate with them before stealing the life out of the human. One there are no more humans or things with blood, what will they do next? They do live eternally... according to Lestat. The same question could be asked to humans, what are we going to do when we run out of food, but we humans also die pretty easily, and then there aren't as many people eating... unlike with vampires who can't really die.
I feel like something that's brought up a lot in the book is also another reason why the very act of drinking blood is so intimate. Vampires are supposed to be solitary creatures yet, Lestat was apparently lonely. Lestat, Claudia, and Louis, they needed company. I feel like this really goes into the human nature, we humans are social creatures. Though Vampires are given new natures, they can't really always shake off their human nature, even when they are turned at a young age with no human nature to experience. They want companionship. This longing for companionship might be why vampires have to drink blood. Somewhere deep inside them, though they think they're happy, they want to become a human again. So they drink blood, because it is such an intimate act, especially with a human. They know everything about a human when they drink that human's blood. They aren't as alone as they were a minute ago. It's a temporary fix for what they truly long for.
By: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
So like, I'm back to reading this book! Yay me! Now that I've begun rereading it (I've started off a bit before the part where I left off before so I could get back into the book)I started to realize things I didn't realize before. During my many adventures on youtube, I learned that the very idea of what a vampire does is considered sexual and dark. Apparently one of the first vampires pretty much turned away from God and the church because his wife committed suicide and they couldn't bury her there because she died by suicide or something like that. The person also explained about how sexual the very concept of elongating fangs piercing flesh and bodily liquids being swapped was a very sexual thing. The person also recommended the Anne Rice series and so, knowing that I had enjoyed it before (before the gore-ishness got to me, I can probably cope now) I decided to read it again. Well, I wasn't so naive as I was before.
As I started reading the book, I suddenly got a taste of how erotic, as the back cover would say, the book is. After reading "Pride and Prejudice" I found the book much easier to read and more fun to enjoy, as it had a very beautiful writing style that I hope one day to also obtain. Though, reading this one line made me want to burst out laughing, as it was describing Lestat drinking the blood from a human boy. Now, it's not that the scene is funny, but it was written in such an erotic way, I being a teenager was helpless from the giggles. Showing the line to my fellows/classmates, I got pretty, let's say "Loud", responses. Most of them took the whole sentence the wrong way and completely thought I was reading... porn.
Well, despite my embarrassment, it really brings up a valid point. Anne Rice had a very good reason to write the drinking of blood in such an erotic way. It was to show how intimate it was to take the blood of another. It brought up how intimate vampires as creatures are. They live off the very liquid life essence of a human. In taking the human's blood, or even an animal's blood, they sort of become one with that creature, they take that creature into themselves, and it's as if that creature becomes a part of them. It reminds me of the anime/manga Bleach where when a hollow tries to become stronger, it has to eat other souls and hollows to survive, to take that Hollow's power and make it their own by eating it and making it become a part of itself.
Though with a hollow, all they have to do in their time is kill or be killed. They can't really do anything besides that for entertainment and it makes me wonder what would happen if a hollow finally killed and absorbed the last remaining hollow by itself. What would it do then? There would be nothing left to fight, and then would it die without a reason for existence? Though, it probably wouldn't happen, as hollows are made from spirits of humans who stay too long in the human world or something like that, Bleach got very confusing after a while and wasn't truly planned out, making many of the points made earlier in the show not make sense as new info keeps popping up. But the same sort of applies to vampires. They live off seducing, as most of the time they do seduce their victims, humans, and getting intimate with them before stealing the life out of the human. One there are no more humans or things with blood, what will they do next? They do live eternally... according to Lestat. The same question could be asked to humans, what are we going to do when we run out of food, but we humans also die pretty easily, and then there aren't as many people eating... unlike with vampires who can't really die.
I feel like something that's brought up a lot in the book is also another reason why the very act of drinking blood is so intimate. Vampires are supposed to be solitary creatures yet, Lestat was apparently lonely. Lestat, Claudia, and Louis, they needed company. I feel like this really goes into the human nature, we humans are social creatures. Though Vampires are given new natures, they can't really always shake off their human nature, even when they are turned at a young age with no human nature to experience. They want companionship. This longing for companionship might be why vampires have to drink blood. Somewhere deep inside them, though they think they're happy, they want to become a human again. So they drink blood, because it is such an intimate act, especially with a human. They know everything about a human when they drink that human's blood. They aren't as alone as they were a minute ago. It's a temporary fix for what they truly long for.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Post Mortem
Post Mortem
by: Patricia Cornwell
Terri Thampan 804
So, I'm currently reading a new book! I don't usually like posting a post without finishing a book, but ah well. This book is told from the perspective of a- I think it's a medical forensic examiner (I'm not really good at telling which job is whose when the book has a ton of different people and jobs) named Kay Scarpetta. The grounds of Richmond, Virginia are suddenly not as safe as they used to be. Women are getting brutally raped and murdered inside their very own homes! It's up to the police to find the serial rapist murderer and stop the crimes.
Now, what I really like is that this book is written by a woman who was in the police force, well something to do with crime investigation and stuff. She knows what she's talking about- hopefully- or at least I think she does. Because she's lived the life of a policewoman, or something like that, she knows how it would typically be, and all those little details are what makes it important. I like Kay's character as it's a character that's not very sun-shine-y, but very passionate in her views, but smart enough not to act out on her feelings or views in bad situations. That is a real character to me. If someone was truly in such a dreary job such as this one of course they might be a little bit wiser, death is a very solemn thing after all, or at least not so happy-go-lucky. If anything they would be kinda quirky, sarcastic, have a dry sense of humor or something, but I may just be stereotyping. Truth is, having such a depressing job like that really changes people, and it sort of makes you want to appreciate the people who are really out there doing those jobs.
I like how there's a variety of people. And in the case or a serial rapist murderer, a variety of people is exactly what needs to be brought up. There are a variety of people in this world, and many people we don't know who live in our very own city or neighborhood. When we go through this kind of mass affecting crime, it really puts into perspective how many people there are in the world and that anyone could be a victim, anyone could get attacked, and it's happening all around the world. It's actually very scary...
Anyways, I really like how the case is developed.
Mostly, at the moment there is but one suspect, and he's pretty much having all this evidence pinned against him. Kay doesn't really think it's him though. What makes this case so special is that the rapist doesn't have to worry about getting caught by leaving- uhh... seminal fluid/sperm. He's a non-secreter which means the DNA in his sperm doesn't match with the DNA within his other bodily fluids... or something like that. That makes it really hard to tell who the rapist is. Non-secreters can be either gender- I think, most likely.
But what really sort of goes through my head is how do we truly know who's the criminal. The book talks about how many read the stories in the news and then think they did the crime though they did nothing. It can be psychological and mostly is. Someone who did the crime is "different" in the head, and then there are people who may not have done the crime but take the blame because they think they did the crime. It makes you wonder. Sometimes crime doers don't get caught unless there's a stroke of luck evidence. It makes you wonder what kind of criminals are still loose because the evidence pointed towards an innocent. It's quite a scary thought. But the story also has a lot to do with back stories. Everyone has them, it's what makes us humans. And mostly, what causes a criminal to be "messed up" in the head is because of back stories. Abused children are most likely to become child abuses, it's all psychological, and it's all kind of scary. Humans interact with other humans, we help form the other, and form ourselves. Who we are, what we become, it is all because of others and our interactions with them.
by: Patricia Cornwell
Terri Thampan 804
So, I'm currently reading a new book! I don't usually like posting a post without finishing a book, but ah well. This book is told from the perspective of a- I think it's a medical forensic examiner (I'm not really good at telling which job is whose when the book has a ton of different people and jobs) named Kay Scarpetta. The grounds of Richmond, Virginia are suddenly not as safe as they used to be. Women are getting brutally raped and murdered inside their very own homes! It's up to the police to find the serial rapist murderer and stop the crimes.
Now, what I really like is that this book is written by a woman who was in the police force, well something to do with crime investigation and stuff. She knows what she's talking about- hopefully- or at least I think she does. Because she's lived the life of a policewoman, or something like that, she knows how it would typically be, and all those little details are what makes it important. I like Kay's character as it's a character that's not very sun-shine-y, but very passionate in her views, but smart enough not to act out on her feelings or views in bad situations. That is a real character to me. If someone was truly in such a dreary job such as this one of course they might be a little bit wiser, death is a very solemn thing after all, or at least not so happy-go-lucky. If anything they would be kinda quirky, sarcastic, have a dry sense of humor or something, but I may just be stereotyping. Truth is, having such a depressing job like that really changes people, and it sort of makes you want to appreciate the people who are really out there doing those jobs.
I like how there's a variety of people. And in the case or a serial rapist murderer, a variety of people is exactly what needs to be brought up. There are a variety of people in this world, and many people we don't know who live in our very own city or neighborhood. When we go through this kind of mass affecting crime, it really puts into perspective how many people there are in the world and that anyone could be a victim, anyone could get attacked, and it's happening all around the world. It's actually very scary...
Anyways, I really like how the case is developed.
Mostly, at the moment there is but one suspect, and he's pretty much having all this evidence pinned against him. Kay doesn't really think it's him though. What makes this case so special is that the rapist doesn't have to worry about getting caught by leaving- uhh... seminal fluid/sperm. He's a non-secreter which means the DNA in his sperm doesn't match with the DNA within his other bodily fluids... or something like that. That makes it really hard to tell who the rapist is. Non-secreters can be either gender- I think, most likely.
But what really sort of goes through my head is how do we truly know who's the criminal. The book talks about how many read the stories in the news and then think they did the crime though they did nothing. It can be psychological and mostly is. Someone who did the crime is "different" in the head, and then there are people who may not have done the crime but take the blame because they think they did the crime. It makes you wonder. Sometimes crime doers don't get caught unless there's a stroke of luck evidence. It makes you wonder what kind of criminals are still loose because the evidence pointed towards an innocent. It's quite a scary thought. But the story also has a lot to do with back stories. Everyone has them, it's what makes us humans. And mostly, what causes a criminal to be "messed up" in the head is because of back stories. Abused children are most likely to become child abuses, it's all psychological, and it's all kind of scary. Humans interact with other humans, we help form the other, and form ourselves. Who we are, what we become, it is all because of others and our interactions with them.
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