THE ROCK OF OPINION

I found Amin Maalouf's writing style to be a welcome change from that of J.M. Coetzee. The latter's writing style was very dry, even cold. On the contrary, Amin Maalouf's writing style has far more life in it. The historical allusions, such as the Ottoman conquest of power and the presence of foreigners, add depth to the story. Yet the tone is that of a historian who likes to write in quasi-literary terms. I am sure local figures of authority such as the Sheikh, the Sheikha, Gerios and Reverend Stolton actually existed. I am sure that thousands of powerful men, like the Sheikh, used their authority to procure women for themselves. The Sheikha's predicament can strike a chord in a female reader. Her doubts, her lethargy, her frustration all sound very realistic. It is obvious that Amin Maalouf pities his characters, especially Lamia. She was caught in what almost became a viper's nest. She was afraid of gossip (an anxiety that I myself can understand) and the Sheikh's overbearing attentions. I found her to be Amin Maalouf's most likeable character.

A LIFE VERSUS LEGACY

I tend to find a lot of truth in the hypothesis that Byron's life eclipsed his poetry. It is important to remember that, in many ways, Byron was a rebel against English society of that time. He scorned hypocritical convention and his love affairs, both heterosexual and homosexual, were known all over England and elsewhere. Yet Byron's adaptation of Don Juan, Childe Harold and Manfred are literary classics. My personal opinion is that Byron's success with these works is due to the fact that he wrote them in a way that any reader, regardless of status or class, could understand and relate to. His writing style is certainly very different from those of his contemporaries, Keats and Wordsworth (and who he hated).
For example, Keats's ballad 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' is VERY difficult to understand. There are so many hidden meanings and symbols that are not easy to detect. However, Byron's works are not like that. Byron writes in a straightforward, often cynically humoristic tone. The vast majority of readers can surely relate to that. Byron succeeded in changing the way readers perceive the legendary figure of Don Juan. In Byron's epic, Don Juan was no longer the dazzling figure of legend but a simple young man who came down to the level of the readers. I think this is part of Byron's great success.
One can see Byron's lifestyle in his poetry. That he chose to write about Don Juan, one of the greatest seducers of all time, instead of the Greek and Roman heroes, reveals something integral about Lord Byron. Byron obviously identified with Don Juan up to a point. His own escapades with women reveal that he was, in a way, his own Don Juan. He even saw fit to court his own half-sister, Augusta Leigh. This is proof that Byron was far ahead of his time and society. His "freedom" in this respect is undoubtedly part of what made him so famous.
This is why I would tend to agree that Byron's lifestyle never came second to his poetry.

THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FUTURE

I often think times gone by
When people were able to bear their lot
I want to say that it is still the same but I cannot lie,
Yet life has placed my surroundings in a bad spot.
Fate seems frightening and cold,
The future coming closer and nearer
This I wish I never had to be told,
The past begins to seem more precious and dearer.
I know that hope is not enough,
To propel me into into life
I keep thinking that the journey must be rough
And troubles will be rife.

THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FUTURE

I often think times gone by
When people were able to bear their lot
I want to say that it is still the same but I cannot lie,
Yet life has placed my surroundings in a bad spot.
Fate seems frightening and cold,
The future coming closer and nearer
This I wish I never had to be told,
The past begins to seem more precious and dearer.
I know that hope is not enough,
To propel me into into life
I keep thinking that the journey must be rough
And troubles will be rife.

The Trial of 'Disgrace'

J. M. Coetzee has certainly woven an intriguing and perplexing tale of moral catastrophes. His protagonist, David Lurie, is indeed awfully hard to sympathize with. He is impractical, self-absorbed and jaded to the point of complete exasperation. I often wondered just what it was I was meant to be discovering while reading the book 'Disgrace'. It is hard to identify with the entire novel because David Lurie's character and actions make no sense. He jeopardizes his entire career and future over a futile fling with a student, then moves to his daughter Lucy's while showing no real interest in her or her own life.
When the attack happens, Lurie helplessly throws himself into Lucy's life. He manages to do nothing useful except flounder about in it. He even sees to fit to engage Bev Shaw, the innocent animal-welfare lady married to the over-helpful Bill Shaw, in adultery. He returns to the Isaacs family in George and feels nothing but desire for Melanie's younger sister. We have cause to wonder, does this man EVER learn his lesson? Even when his daughter Lucy refuses to consider the options he offers her, he gives up and begins focusing on Byron. The turn of events makes very little sense.
Lucy Lurie comes across as a dignified yet unfathomable character. She definitely has more credibility than her father, choosing to continue her lifestyle in a dignified manner even after the attack. Yet what remains incomprehensible is her unwillingness to go to the police. Why does she accept her fate with such numb calm? Another question is, what really lies at the core of her belief in what she does? Is rejecting all forms of materialism and epicurean/intellectual pursuit a means of rebellion against her self-seeking, wasteful father? Does she have any regrets? A deep author's analysis of Lucy Lurie would have proved more helpful in reading the book.
All in all, DISGRACE is an unpleasant but morally incisive story.

Shakespeare

Shakespeare cannot be overrated because his plays and poems show such a deep understanding of the human psyche and what drives people to act the way they do. Some prominent examples are MACBETH, HAMLET, JULIUS CAESAR, OTHELLO and the sonnets we have read in class. These plays and sonnets are remembered because they portray what can happen to the human mind when driven to an extreme.For example, in OTHELLO we see a proud and virile man driven to kill his wife out of fear of being betrayed. In JULIUS CAESAR we see the destruction that manipulation causes (Cassius and Brutus). In the sonnets we see the effects of rejection and despair on the human mind.Apart from enriching the field of literature and poetry, Shakespeare was able to capture his times in his work and articulate the depths of the human mind and heart. Generations upon generations of readers can envision the medieval times and how they affected the modern-day world. They are able to do this by reading Shakespeare.It is for such reasons that Shakespeare is considered one of the best playrights who ever lived. He would not have earned this reputation had his works not been so psychologically and literally astute.

REACTION TO SONNETS

Sonnets are quite new to me as a subtopic in literature. I had briefly studied haikus before, but nothing like Shakespearean sonnets. I find sonnets somewhat difficult to understand and even lacking in substance, but my fondness for Shakespeare overshadows my complaining. I think I only need to study sonnets a bit more and then I'll see if I'll warm up to them or not.

So What About 'Disgrace?!'

J. M. Coetzee's writing style is rather dry and bleak, but otherwise quite evocative. At the beginning, the protagonist David Lurie seems self-absorbed and almost hedonistic. It seems as though he foolishly courted Melanie Isaacs just because he could no longer have Soraya the call-girl. How repelling does that sound?
However, David Lurie eventually sounds more sympathetic once we see how university faculty and students harass and condemn him so vehemently. Doesn't the students' behavior seem very exaggerated? But then again, they probably felt threatened by the way David forced himself on Melanie. Coetzee's writing style serves to make the story even bleaker. The lines are short and choppy, as if it is not a story but a short movie, a 'court-metrage'. It would be somewhat excessive to continue condemning him even when he is assaulted and his daughter is raped.

So What About 'Disgrace?!'

A Reaction to Human Nature

I often despair at the state of the universe
Since people do not care at all
Out of despair my tone will always be terse
This is the result of sheer and bitter gall.
I witness the complexities of human behaviour every day,
People who cannot and never will change their ways.
I cease to pay attention to what people think
Though there are some I will always love
Henceforth my despair will never sink
Yet I wonder if there is nothing from above
That will change my mind
I continue to live the way I live
As with everyone else, there remains a force that will bind
The way I think about life and how I give
For in the end, true peace of heart shall I find.

Looking Deeper Into an Icon

I am sure many essayists and historians must have asked themselves this question when looking into the life and works of one of the most celebrated playrights who ever lived. Now we, IB I students, have to ask ourselves the very same question.IS SHAKESPEARE OVERRATED?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We certainly have to address one specific aspect of the issue: what does it take to create such immortal characters? How can a character be thought over, worked over, and finally finished so that he or she (and there are plenty of them)will remain as powerful and as resonant in 500 years time? And, last but definitely not least, what sort of mind does it take to be able to write like that, with such enduring effects?
We have to take all these factors into consideration before we make a final judgement. Some people argue that there was no Shakespeare, or that he was just a charlatan who got others to write the famous works for him. But, as a response to those people, we know very little about Shakespeare's life. So how can we judge? All we know is that we study Shakespeare at school and find ourselves having to analyze the deeper meanings and themes of his work, be it plays or sonnets.
Some of us may idolize or detest Shakespeare for whatever reason, but most people agree that he is an extremely powerful writer. For fans and critics alike to agree on that, it does mean that Shakespeare's work has outstanding literary merit. So no, I don't think Shakespeare is overrated.