The effect of adversity on the human spirit
I chose this theme because of the obvious connotations with the situation in Hiroshima. The bomb not only inflicts pain upon the citizens of the city itself, but the maker of the bomb as well. The effects on Emiko are everlasting and follow her through painful surgeries and recoveries, and even into her everyday life. She is researched like a science experiment continuously. Therefore, she is face to face with adversity daily, slowly breaking down her spirit and building up a strong wall in order to protect herself against the harsh words of the public. On the other end of the spectrum, the creator of the bomb suffers as well, having to deal with the constant weight on his shoulders reminding him that he destroyed a population. The two characters feel immense amounts of adversity following their lives continuously, yet this awful attachment to the bomb surfaces strength within each of them, stemming from opposite ends of the spectrum.
Interplay between fear and foresight when individuals make life altering choices
This topic is focused mainly on the creator of the atomic bomb, Anton. His life-altering choice is the creation and development of this bomb, forcing him to choose between his morality and his obligations to his career. His choice was the latter, forcing him to endlessly prove to himself that the decision was the correct one. His mind is a constant battle between humanity and the advance of technology in order to pursue his career. The fear and hesitance intertwined in his very mind creates a sense of indifference within Anton, resulting in the slow unfolding of his relationship with Sophie, and his denial of doing any wrong in the face of Emiko. This choice is one that has afflicted every aspect of his present life, creating inner-conflict in the face of any situation.
The effect an individuals perspective has on personal beliefs
This topic is mainly focusing on the conflicting ideals of Emiko and Anton, but as well with Anton's relationship with Sophie. Anton's personal beliefs are strong and unchanging, therefore he appears to come off headstrong on multiple occasions. His perspective on the bomb is that "it saved lives" by stopping the Americans from starting a full blown war. Emiko's ideals are clashing. Her beliefs are strong in that the bomb changed her life, and killed her family, therefore cannot be seen as a humanitary movement. The two points are valid, therefore the perspective brought by each character enables the reader to view both sides unbiased. They both have strong fundamental values of family, morals and of following one's goals, therefore the views they each have on the bomb make the novel a thrill to read, and interesting points and perspectives to untangle along the way.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Ash Garden
Top Five Scenes
1- The most interesting scene to me was when the bomb hit Hiroshima. Emiko and her younger brother were playing with their grandfather, drawing faces on each others backs in the water, and it was depicted with beautiful imagery of this tranquil place. The contrast between the calm state of their playing, and the extreme horror of the bombing is incredible. I really liked how the bombing isn't necessarily described, yet more so implied with the last line. It creates a sense of panic and urgency, and it created beautifully into a sentence. "It glistened at his knees in the brilliant morning sun, and suddenly it began to glow and the stone rose up from its mud pocket, which in an instant turned hard-baked and grey, and then I could not breathe and my mouth became a desert and the air jumped alive with objects that never had flown before." The rushed ending with no punctuation creates a sensation of terror arising, ending the scene with suspicion and fear all in one. It's very intense!
2- My second favorite scene is the memory of how Anton and Sophie meet. I really enjoyed the warm sensation Bock creates with his writing in the scene, bringing it to life in so many ways. The scene was very interesting to me because of the opposing lives they lead previous to their encounter. When they meet in the moon light, and enter the water, the scene surfaces a sensation of discovery and curiosity on both ends of the strange lives of each other. I loved the sense of innocence it brings because of the two characters meeting with such awkward first steps, and I found it to be very cute. I love the little blossoming romance going on!
3- Another scene I really enjoyed is when Anton is watching the children sledding in his hometown. I love how Anton analyzes the true meaning of "waiting" while he watches the kids fly by on their toboggans. The passage is very thoughtful, and it was refreshing to read a thought process of this kind without blame. Anton seems to really understand Sophie's justification for her feelings, and he makes an excellent point about their relationship. This scene is very light for the matter of which it is regarding, making it very surprising. The motif of sugar is brought up with the young girl who injures herself, pouring the "pyramid of sugar" on her tongue to soothe the pain. The following flashback to his time in Hiroshima deepens the scene to another level, giving this scene many dimensions.
4-The scene in which Anton and Emiko speak about the bomb is very interesting. This scene sort of, sucked me in, if you will. The feelings on both ends are so intense, while they sit in Anton's lovely home and discuss old, unreleased films of the past. It is more so reminiscent than angry or accusative, making it very easy to follow and intriguing to read. Each point made is valid, allowing the reader to stay neutral instead of choosing sides. The questions and responses are equally difficult to answer, and the author is able to force the reader inside the scene, as if we were sitting in the chair next to them, sipping on some juice and listening closely to the conversation.
5- My last chosen scene was difficult. I'm backtracking to the beginning again, but this time, I chose it because its level of intensity. This was the saddest scene in the novel. The specific moment when Mitsuo dies literally broke my heart. I did not expect him to pass on, therefore the shock factor was strong, and I pined with Emiko while reading. The previous night, she read him stories to make the night seem more gentle, and my heart aches with the fact that he could no longer try and hold her hand. The most impacting moment was when I realized that she was now alone in this process, trying to fight for her life in silence, alone, while doctors poked and prodded at her as if she were a science experiment. This scene deeply saddened me.
1- The most interesting scene to me was when the bomb hit Hiroshima. Emiko and her younger brother were playing with their grandfather, drawing faces on each others backs in the water, and it was depicted with beautiful imagery of this tranquil place. The contrast between the calm state of their playing, and the extreme horror of the bombing is incredible. I really liked how the bombing isn't necessarily described, yet more so implied with the last line. It creates a sense of panic and urgency, and it created beautifully into a sentence. "It glistened at his knees in the brilliant morning sun, and suddenly it began to glow and the stone rose up from its mud pocket, which in an instant turned hard-baked and grey, and then I could not breathe and my mouth became a desert and the air jumped alive with objects that never had flown before." The rushed ending with no punctuation creates a sensation of terror arising, ending the scene with suspicion and fear all in one. It's very intense!
2- My second favorite scene is the memory of how Anton and Sophie meet. I really enjoyed the warm sensation Bock creates with his writing in the scene, bringing it to life in so many ways. The scene was very interesting to me because of the opposing lives they lead previous to their encounter. When they meet in the moon light, and enter the water, the scene surfaces a sensation of discovery and curiosity on both ends of the strange lives of each other. I loved the sense of innocence it brings because of the two characters meeting with such awkward first steps, and I found it to be very cute. I love the little blossoming romance going on!
3- Another scene I really enjoyed is when Anton is watching the children sledding in his hometown. I love how Anton analyzes the true meaning of "waiting" while he watches the kids fly by on their toboggans. The passage is very thoughtful, and it was refreshing to read a thought process of this kind without blame. Anton seems to really understand Sophie's justification for her feelings, and he makes an excellent point about their relationship. This scene is very light for the matter of which it is regarding, making it very surprising. The motif of sugar is brought up with the young girl who injures herself, pouring the "pyramid of sugar" on her tongue to soothe the pain. The following flashback to his time in Hiroshima deepens the scene to another level, giving this scene many dimensions.
4-The scene in which Anton and Emiko speak about the bomb is very interesting. This scene sort of, sucked me in, if you will. The feelings on both ends are so intense, while they sit in Anton's lovely home and discuss old, unreleased films of the past. It is more so reminiscent than angry or accusative, making it very easy to follow and intriguing to read. Each point made is valid, allowing the reader to stay neutral instead of choosing sides. The questions and responses are equally difficult to answer, and the author is able to force the reader inside the scene, as if we were sitting in the chair next to them, sipping on some juice and listening closely to the conversation.
5- My last chosen scene was difficult. I'm backtracking to the beginning again, but this time, I chose it because its level of intensity. This was the saddest scene in the novel. The specific moment when Mitsuo dies literally broke my heart. I did not expect him to pass on, therefore the shock factor was strong, and I pined with Emiko while reading. The previous night, she read him stories to make the night seem more gentle, and my heart aches with the fact that he could no longer try and hold her hand. The most impacting moment was when I realized that she was now alone in this process, trying to fight for her life in silence, alone, while doctors poked and prodded at her as if she were a science experiment. This scene deeply saddened me.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Top scenes!
1- The scene in the play which impacted me the most was when Christian is speaking to Roxanne on her balcony. Cyrano is in the background, reciting each and every word for Christian to recite. This allows him to win the heart of their beloved Roxanne. In turn, Cyrano endsup taking over, and I really loved how she didn't even notice! I love that he felt his passion so strongly that he felt obligated to force Christian to stop talking in order to keep from ruining the moment. He litterally declares his undying love for Roxanne, and she, blindly, doesn't even realize it. Christian is not smart enough to realize what is happening, and Roxanne is blinded by her "love" for Christian, therefore Cyrano's love continues to go unreturned.
2- I really enjoyed the scene where Cyrano forces Montfleury off the stage right at the beginning of the play. He feels so strongly that his acting should go unrecognized that he is willing to return all of the money used to pay for tickets to the play to each audience member- out of his own pocket! I found this guesture as one of great generosity and I saw him as sort of a humbled hero. He acts in such a selfless mannor without even realizing what a helpful thing he's doing.
3- Last but not least, my favorite scene is the scene where Cyrano passes away. Not because he dies (!), but more so that he has finally released all of his passion and love for Roxanne directly to her face. It is such a bittersweet scene. He finally tells the truth, with a good reaction in return from Roxanne, and he then passes. It is full of so much emotion and intensity that one must sympathize greatly for this selfless man. I felt awful watching him die after finally telling the truth! It hit me quite hard though. Cyrano proves himself as a man of dignity and compassion with his final breath: a true hero.
2- I really enjoyed the scene where Cyrano forces Montfleury off the stage right at the beginning of the play. He feels so strongly that his acting should go unrecognized that he is willing to return all of the money used to pay for tickets to the play to each audience member- out of his own pocket! I found this guesture as one of great generosity and I saw him as sort of a humbled hero. He acts in such a selfless mannor without even realizing what a helpful thing he's doing.
3- Last but not least, my favorite scene is the scene where Cyrano passes away. Not because he dies (!), but more so that he has finally released all of his passion and love for Roxanne directly to her face. It is such a bittersweet scene. He finally tells the truth, with a good reaction in return from Roxanne, and he then passes. It is full of so much emotion and intensity that one must sympathize greatly for this selfless man. I felt awful watching him die after finally telling the truth! It hit me quite hard though. Cyrano proves himself as a man of dignity and compassion with his final breath: a true hero.
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