• Blog – Comment on the underground man’s actions. How is acting here in relationship to the claims he made in Part 1?

The underground man is not acting very in sync with what he claimed to be in the first section. I think this is partially because what he has come to be is a result of what we are seeing in his actions and not because he is failing to live up to what he says. In fact it would be impossible for him to live up to what he says in the actions that we are reading now because they occurred before he became who he is, the Underground Man. It is interesting to me though to see just how the Underground Man conducted himself. He thinks and he thinks, and he ponders through everything that he does, but he still ends up acting like a little girl. He cannot compose himself enough to think of the big picture and lets himself get focused on the minutia. This shows no more prevalently in his encounter with the sergeant. He cannot stop to think of himself outside of his actions, which shows him not identifying the person he becomes. The person he becomes thinks and thinks but is still able to see past actions. He has to, he does nothing. This forced thoughtfulness of nothing is not embodied in his actions but I do think that as his actions continue and the more and more he encounters until he is eventually forced underground will result in him becoming more and more the Underground Man we come to know in the first section.

Question 2

Rooster Cogburn is a comnplete and total BA. My frst impression of him is that he is a man that is well past his prime. That he is trying to drink his troubles away. I would think that he is a man living in the past who's time is well past. That he would be only their to help with the formative and mental parts of the plan. However, as the story progresses we find that he still is the physical power as well. I really like the fact that he is able to come in out of nowhere near the end of the movie. I am a fan of the way that he takes on Robert Duval and the three chronies. And this is not a situation where he is fighting them with his fists or even with swords. He goes at four guys that are all shooting straight at him, no one besides him. This is stupid, monumentally stupid, but it also comletely epic. So overall my impression of Rooster is that he is an amazing person.

The Underground Man

The underground man is very curious to me. He seems at the same time self loathing and overly sensitive. These are two characteristics that I do not really understand together. The opening lines of the book he is talking about how he is unattractive and has liver problems that he refuses to see a doctor about. He goes on then a rampage about how his ignoring a doctor is pointless and he is not really putting it back in anyones face. He then goes to describe himself as nasty only to recant it later. At the end of the first chapter one is left with an understanding that this man has a lot to find out about himself. He then goes on to state in the second chapter that he is a sensitive man, which like I said does not really mix with him consistently bashing himself. It leaves me with the thought and the feeling the The Underground Man is a very unstable being.

Othello Ending

I feel that the play had an interesting ending. I expected that the hero would die through suicide because it is a Shakespear play. I feel more sorry for Othello than I am upset at Iago. This is because Othello has everything taken away from him. However, I almost somewhat appreciate what Iago does because it requires so much thought. Iago is a great example of a dog eat dog world. If he is not in power than the people that are ahead of him need to be gone. I do however pity Desdemona because she is in fact dead for no reason besides her good will. I also pity her because of how honorable she is and how she demonstrates her love for Othello even seconds before she dies. I cannot really think of many similarities between this and my life though, my life is one not in Europe and also i dont have that messed up of friends.

Iago's plan

I do not think that Iago’s plan will work. It seems like it is too complicated and that while some of the steps will indeed cause trouble that the whole plan has to come together for everything to go Iago’s way. Iago decided that he is going to steal Roderigo’s money for himself. He also decides that he will work to convince Othello that Cassio had slept with Desdemona. In doing this he will make it so that Othello is upset with Cassio, his newly promoted lieutenant. This would leave the position open for Iago and also make it so that Othello will be left alone. Iago would then be promoted and have a large sum of money from Roderigo. Overall I think that the plan will not come together exactly as Iago intended but that something will definitely go wrong for Othello and that he and Desdemona will not make it through the play together.

Iago's plan

Luke and Beowulf

In general, Luke and Beowulf are two completely different types of heroes. Luke is an unwilling hero that is pulled into serving the rebellion as a jedi. Beuwulf in every one of his battle volunteers in order to be a hero. Luke comes from a more humble beginning than Beowulf. Beowulf is born and raised by a great warrior, Luke is born from Darth Vader who was a very powerful individual, but he was raised by his meager aunt and uncle. This leads to him being an unwilling hero in that he is pulled into the service of being a hero by the fact that his parents were murdered by the empire. Beowulf volunteers to fight the dragon and grendle. Another key difference is that Luke has to fight what creates him, The thing that gave him all of his powers, the fact that his father was a jedi before him is the biggest conquest that he has to make whereas Beowulf is just defeating monsters and fighting random bad guys that are wreaking havoc.

Wiglaf

I feel that Wiglaf in many ways is a more pure hero than Beowulf. After reading of Beowulf’s exploits it seems to me that he is willing to do heroic things more in order to become a hero than with more pure motives. The moment that Wiglaf comes into fruition is when Beowulf is fighting the dragon and all of the men waiting for the fight decide to leave Beowulf. Wiglaf steps up and realizes the wrong that is being committed. Having been raised to his current standing by the grace of Beowulf he realizes a debt. He realizes that he and all of his cohorts with him are in debt to Beowulf for all that they have and that deserting him would be wrong. After giving a speech to the deserting men and calling all of them cowards. (A bold thing to do in my mind) He goes in to help Beowulf fight the dragon. Working together they are able to slay the dragon but Beowulf dies in the process. Wiglaf entered the situation and the fight solely because he felt it was his duty to help the man that had promoted him and not for glory. This in my mind gives him a better backing to his heroic acts and makes him a more complete hero.

Beowolf

Unfirth is a jerk. He is trying to tarnish Beowolf's reputation in order that he might seem greater. He is known as the greatest warrior among the Danes and is the strongest of Hrothgar's men. When Beowolf, this great warrior comes to town, Unfirth becomes jeaolous. He does what he can to try and discredit Beowolf in order to make him seem like people are making a big deal about nothing. The way he tries to do this is by bringing up a contest that Beowolf had that Unfirth says he lost. He said that Beowolf lost the contest and was washed up on the shore. Beowolf however, responds like a hero should. First he questions Unfirth's motives, easily seeing through is phony attempt at power. However, he does not go on a rant about the failings of Unfirth, instead he makes a passing remark about him and goes on with his story. He corrects Unfirth's story and turns the doubt that was cast into more confidence in Beowlf. He tells the tale of How he was not washed up on the shore, but that he swam some great distance and battled and killed monsters along the way. Overall he did what many people at the time thought was impossible, turned swimming into a really really hardcore activity.