Blog Post #7 : Socrtic Seminar Questions

1) Why do you think Dante (the author) switches to coldness for the ninth circle as opposed to the extreme heat and fire used in all the preceding circles?

2) How do you think the plot would have changed if Dante (the character) would have had to face this journey alone rather than with Virgil?

3) How do the things Dante saw in Hell apply to the living world?

4) How do you think this story applies to the modern world? And how do you think this story would be different had it taken place in modern times?

5) In what ways does Dante's exploration of Hell represent "The Hero's Journey"?

6) Why do you think it was so important that Dante had to see and understand Hell? Why do you think he specifically was chosen for this mission?

Blogpost #6

Blogpost #6

Throughout Cantos XXI-XXVII, it is evident that the path Dante and Virgil are traveling on is getting tougher and tougher and more obstacles are being thrown their way. As their voyage becomes increasingly more difficult, a shift in their relationship is seen and they become closer. Evidence of an obstruction in their path is first mentioned in Canto XXI on page 191 lines 107 and 108 when one of the demons warns Dante and Virgil, “’There is no use in going much farther on this ridge, because the sixth bridge … is smashed to bits.’” It is calculated on the next page, by the way, that this bridge crumbled 1266 years ago on Holy Saturday following Jesus’s death (this is explained in greater detail in the reference pages in the back of the novel). This is significant because it not only gives the reader a reference as to when Dante entered Hell, but also because it signifies that Dante is going through a huge struggle that will have great significance to humanity, just as Jesus did the same week 1266 prior. The next obstacle Dante and Virgil face that brings them closer together is in the beginning of Canto XXIII, when they realize they are about to be hunted down by demons for causing them harm. At the bottom of page 207, Virgil says to Dante, “If I were a leaded mirror< I could not gather in your outer image more quickly than I have received your inner. For even now your thoughts have joined my own; in both our acts we are kin—with both our minds I’ve come to one decision.” Virgil says this to point out that the fear they share makes them alike and bonds them together. Their bond is developed further on the next page, when the demons fly to them and Virgil immediately becomes protective of Dante, like a mother’s instinct (lines 37-45). It even goes as far as to say that Virgil cares for Dante more than himself. This shift in their bond shows a development in their characters, as they are now more reliant on each other and trust each other more. Another time this shift can be seen in the text is in Canto XXIV on page 219. As Dante and Virgil are traveling on an extremely steep slope, Dante reaches a breaking point and tries to quit pushing forward. But instead of breaking, Virgil delivers a motivational speech to him and instills confidence in Dante to keep going.

Throughout this selection, Dante uses foreshadowing in many interesting ways. One particular instance I found interesting is on page 197 at the beginning of Canto XXII. At this point in the journey, Dante and Virgil are being accompanied by a pack of demons through the Fifth Pouch of the Eighth Circle. In this circle, Dante has already witnesses that Barrators are punished by being forced to submerge themselves into boiling tar. In lines 19-24, Dante mentions that occasionally these spirits come out of the tar like dolphins and show their backs in our to have a brief moment to “ease [their] torment.” Back in the time period Inferno was written, dolphins were seen as a warning for a storm coming. The use of dolphins in this chapter is symbolic because it foreshadows both the immediate possibility of conflict, in which the spirit may be tortured by demons if caught coming up out of the tar, and the more long term possibility of conflict, which takes effect at the end of the Canto, when Dante and Virgil cause a scene that results in two demons dying, which puts their lives at risk.

Another case of foreshadowing I found interesting in the passage is on pages 223 and 225 of Canto XXIV. At this point, Dante encounters Pistoia, a thief who forewarns Dante that the two groups in Florence (the Blacks and the Whites) will have a “fierce” and “impetuous” “clash” which will result in the Blacks defeating the Whites. Back in Italy, Dante is part of the Whites, so this foretelling is a warning of a struggle Dante will face on Earth. This also connects to another warning from a spirit in an earlier chapter in which it was told that the Blacks would win the battle at first, but eventually, with God and Dante’s help, the Whites would triumph.

Many cases of poetic justice are also seen throughout this selection. For example, on pages 209 and 211 the hypocrites are described as wearing cloaks that are “dazzled” on the outside but “heavy” and made of lead on the inside. This is to signify that the image hypocrites like to portray themselves as through their words is much more appealing than their true character, which often goes against what they say.

Blog Post #5: Keep it One-"hunnit" - Don't be no FRAUD!

Blog Post #5

            As Dante continues his voyage through Hell, many spirits ask him to remember them and tell their stories when he gets back to Italy. These spirits make this request primarily because they feel guilty for the sins they were condemned for and want to be remembered for the goodness in their lives instead. They also want their lives to serve as a warning for Italy, because in death they have gained more knowledge about life, and are concerned for Italy’s future. They know that Italy is corrupt and may soon fall to the same fate as themselves if they are not able to put an end to their evildoing. For instance, in Canto XVI on page 145 and 147, three spirits from Florentine that have been condemned for sodomy use their stories first to honor their accomplishments, then to warn Italy of corruption, and then to speak about their own sin and guilt. The first Florentine, whose “sword and … good sense accomplished much,” is explained to Dante in order to relieve these spirits of some of their guilt so they can be remembered for goodness rather than sin (XVI. 145. 39). It also establishes their credibility so that the proceeding warning will be better received. This warning takes form as the second Florentine is explained as having “a voice that should have been heeded in the world above” (XVI. 145. 42). The Florentine says this to open Dante’s ears to make sure that his voice can be heeded now that it has the chance to be heard again. Following this, the third Florentine serves as a warning by explaining his own faults. By speaking of his own condemnation, he is warning the people of Italy not to follow in his footsteps by letting “fear [win] out against … good intention” (XVI. 145. 42). These three components are important because they want Dante to be equipped with stories to tell to men to save them from evil.

            Canto XVII opens with a long description of the beast of fraud. Dante juxtaposes the beast’s perfect and appealing facial and outer features with its ugly body in order to symbolize how frauds trick others by putting on a superficially pleasant exterior only to conceal their evil intentions. In lines 10 and 11, Dante says, “The face [the beast] wore was that of a just man, so gracious was his features’ outer semblance.” However, these attractive characteristics are only a front for the beast’s ugly side. It has “the body of a serpent … two paws, with hair up to the armpits … [and a] back and chest … adorned with twining knots and circlets” (XVII. 151. 12-15). The mention of the knots even point to an earlier chapter, where the knots are seen as symbols of faults. The beast’s worst and most distinguishing feature is its “quivering” “pointed tail” “which had a tip just like a scorpion’s” (XVII. 151. 1, 25, 27). His tail poses a danger to Dante as he rides on the beast’s shoulders because it has the potential for harm. The tail being the most dangerous and distinguishing part of the beast is fitting because the worst frauds deceive others at the last minute, when the victim least expects it and after trust has been gained.

            In Canto XVIII, Dante describes the structure of Malebolge in great detail. It is a giant circular pit split into 10 pockets, each designated for a different type of fraud. Each of these pockets are surrounded by moats which separate them from one another. Dante spends so much time describing the format of Malebolge because fraud was thought of as the worst possible type of sin. Describing this level as “a broad and yawning pit” “made all of stone the color of crude iron” invokes dread the reader.

            Canto XX describes the pocket of fraud in which Diviners, Astrologers, and Magicians are held. Part of their punishment here is having their head turned backwards. This is significant because these people were seen as those whose lives skewed people’s vision of God and His creation. In lines 29 and 30, the guide asks, “For who can be more impious than he who links God’s judgement to passivity?” Because these frauds have corrupted visions of God’s judgement, their head has been set backwards because it corrupts their vision. Now instead of having a view placed before God’s, it is now clearly behind.

Blog Post #4: Ain't Nothin' but a Sin Thing

 

In line 27 of the eighth canto of Dante’s Inferno, Dante says “there seemed to be no weight [on the boat] until [he] boarded.” Dante mentions this because he is the only live person in this setting, so he is the only one with a physical body that carries the weight of sin. Phlegyas and Virgil do not add weight to the boat because they are merely spirits, and their sins have caused them to become a part of Hell. Because they are already pieces that make up Hell, they do not add any weight to the boat. The sin and anger that their spirits are comprised of makes them one with the boat. Dante, however, is a foreign substance in Hell and therefore adds to it. Rather than being a component of Hell, he does not belong there, so he adds weight to the boat. On the following page, in lines 43-45, Phlegyas calls Dante and his mother “blessed” because he is without anger. The boat they travel on is accustomed to voyagers whose spirits are comprised of anger, but because Dante’s spirit is pure, he is made of a different element and therefore adds to the boat’s weight.

In the ninth canto in lines 23 and 24, Dante says, “That savage witch Enrichtho… called the shades back to their bodies.” Shades block light from passing through windows, just as Enrichtho obstructs light from reaching the spirits who have been damned here. Anyone who dwells in this level and below has no goodness in their soul because sin has overtaken them and Hell has sucked any goodness they had out of them. From this level and onward, Hell is filled with complete darkness and evil.

On pages 99-101 of the eleventh canto of Inferno, usury is condemned as a sin that angers God because it involves a person choosing to stray away from the divine path in order to make personal gain. It is explained to Dante that “Divine Art” and “Divine Nature” follow each other on a path so that art is closely related to God (11.99.100-105). It is said that when man strays from this path to make personal gain, he is going against nature and therefore God.

In the twelfth canto, Dante travels to the seventh circle, where those who have commited violent crimes are tortured by immersion in boiling blood. This is fitting because usually it is said that anger that causes violence feels like blood boiling due to the heat associated with rage. Because these souls let violence take over their earthly life, it now drowns them in their eternal lives. The depth of the blood each body is immersed in also correlates with the level of guilt each soul carries. Those who have committed more violent crimes (those commited against God rather than those against others or oneself) are immersed in deeper boiling blood.

Blogpost #3: HELL-o? It's Me.

In the third canto of Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the narrator travels to the River Acheron, where he comes in contact with those who are neither welcome in hell or heaven. These souls have been condemned here because they "were not rebels nor faithful to their God" (23. 38-39). Because these people lived a life of cowardice in which they were too afraid to do good or evil, they are trapped in an eternal life of agonizing hopelessness. On page 23, lines 64-69, it says the people here were stung by horseflies and wasps as "insects streaked their faces with blood" where their tears were "gathered up by sickening worms". The feeling of being attacked by a swarm of insects represents how these people lived their lives encircled by fear. Insects are also thought to be small minded and lowly, which is a symbol of these people's decision to not decide. They lived their lives as insects buzzing around without direction and never giving thought to devote their actions toward good nor evil.

In the fourth canto, the narrator travels through the first ring of Hell, Limbo. Those who dwell here lived a sinless life, but died before Christianity existed, so their lack of faith keeps them from entering heaven. Throughout the canto, it is easy to tell that the narrator becomes lost at times due to the complete darkness that encloses the area. One instance of this is in the beginning of the canto in lines 10-12:

That valley, dark and deep and filled with mist,

is such that, though I gazed into its pit,

I was unable to discern a thing. 

At the end of the canto, the complete darkness is mentioned again in the closing line: "And I have reached a part where no thing gleams." Dante is intentional about mentioning the darkness in both the beginning and the end of this canto, because he wants the reader to understand that darkness characterizes Limbo. This darkness is representative of the people here being kept in the dark about faith during their lives. Because they lived before the time of Christianity, they are blind to faith which is what keeps them from reaching Heaven.

                As the narrator continues to venture through the stages of hell, more differences between the concept of hell in the 1300s and today’s concept of hell become apparent. When Dante wrote the Inferno, Christians believed hell was a strict multilayered structure. People believed that judgments were clear and one’s actions would easily determine one’s fate in the afterlife. Today Christian beliefs are much different. Nowadays it is most commonly believed that judgments are not always black and white. There are grey areas where things are not always clear. The modern Christian religion also puts more emphasis on God’s love and forgiveness. Rather than being condemned for sins, Christians believe that their faith will allow for forgiveness and acceptance through Christ. It is also believed by many Christians nowadays that hell may not even be a physical place, but rather an abstract concept that represents the evil found within the world. Because of all these changes in mindset and belief overtime, the Hell Dante describes to his readers is much different from the hell his readers may vision.

                Another key aspect of Dante’s picture of Hell is the importance of physical depth. Every time the narrator travels downward, Dante mentions an increase in more cries and moaning by the condemned spirits. The deeper into Hell the narrator ventures, the worse the crime they have been condemned for, the darker it gets, and the worse the punishment the souls there receive. This physical representation is key, because the farther down one goes, the more weight that is felt from above. With every layer, its residents feel more and more of a burden on their shoulders from all that is above them.

Blog Post #2: Writing about Literature

                This reading selection from the textbook gave me deeper insight into the purpose behind writing about literature and how it should be done. While many aspects of the reading already seemed obvious to me, other parts shed light on subjects I had always wondered about. The textbook also did a good job of formulating concepts I was already aware of into words.

                First off, the textbook’s explanation as to why people write about literature was great preparation for me as a student beginning AP Literature, because now my vision and understanding of the class is much clearer. It was also important to me that I’d learn the difference between the type of writing I will be doing in this class versus the rhetorical analysis assignments I did last year in AP Language and Composition. After reading the text I learned that writing about literature focuses on analysis of the work itself, while rhetorical analysis concentrates on how the author uses language to convey a message.

                This reading also gave me a new awareness of my audience when I am writing. In general, I tend to use my voice very well because I am confident and direct, but prior to reading this text I had not given much thought as to who my readers are. To make myself a better writer, I should pay attention to my readers’ backgrounds and the voice they are expecting to hear from me when I write. If I utilize a more sensitive voice I can establish a closer relationship with my audience.

                Before reading about proper citations, I was relatively comfortable with documentation, but the text provided more specific rules I can reference to make my writing clearer and more accurate. I am accustomed to using quotations in my writing because I have done it frequently in the past, so rules on proper citation should not be hard to remember for me. Providing proper evidence and introductions to my sources is also something that tends to come easy to me. Previously I have struggled with pulling quotes that are too lengthy, but the text provided me with instruction on ways to make use of shorter quotations as well as ways to format lengthier quotes in a more concise manner when needed.

                As I delve into writing about literature, I am apprehensive about utilizing citations that require the author, edition number, editor, publication information, etc. Citations such as these are very tedious and are not one of my strong suits. I also need to learn to be more aware of whether or not things are obvious to the reader. Oftentimes when I write, I forget that the thoughts in my head are not always apparent to my audience.

                So far the reading from the textbook has provided me with ample instruction to improve as a writer so that I can better persuade my readers of my viewpoint on literature and I look forward to utilizing the tools this book gives me to enable me to get a better understanding of literature for both myself and my audience.

 

Creative Therapy Blog Post #1

1)  This project asks students to look within themselves and write about a struggle they have faced at some point in their life. This project makes students push past the boundaries of comfort and step into a jungle of vulnerability. This project blatantly ignores the walls we students have built around ourselves to keep people out and kicks through these sturdy bricks, tearing them down all at once, exposing the real and broken people hiding behind them. Who knows-- maybe this is the kind of project that's a breeze for most people. Maybe I am overthinking this whole thing, as I always do. One thing I do know though is that this project is not easy. Not for me. I sat in front of my computer for hours staring at a blank screen because I could not bring myself to write about the struggles I have faced in my lifetime. Doing this project is a conflict within itself because I am not vulnerable. I have walls. It does not come easy for me to let people in. I've never known the cause of this, but maybe it boils down to expectations. I have always had very high expectations for myself. I hold myself to such high standards that if I am not the very best-- if I am not perfect-- I have let myself down. These are impossible standards to live with and they have forced me to build walls. I tend to keep people out because I know I am not perfect. And maybe I am afraid that if I take down my walls people will realize I am flawed. Because I have such high expectations of myself, I am worried that other people have high expectations of me as well, and if they discover I cannot meet them, I will only be a disappointment. So, "What caused my conflict," you ask? My English teacher forced me to write this very blog post and do a project on it that will push me to step outside my walls of comfort and into an unknown world of vulnerability where I am not perfect and I have flaws.

2) Always having such high expectations of myself is a constant loss of energy. Stress constantly weighs me down as I struggle to be the best and give all of myself to everything I am a part of. On top of that, I am constantly giving of myself to try to provide for others because of my high expectations of myself as a friend to people that I never am able to care for myself. In constantly struggling to be the best possible version of myself, I sometimes lose sight of who I actually am. Often times, these expectations make me lose sleep as well, because there is never enough time in a day to achieve all that I want to achieve, so I am forced to trade in sleep to buy more time in hopes that I can make more of myself. But in reality, all this loss of sleep and energy ever does is damage my health and slowly deteriorate my capabilities, enabling the exact thing I am trying to avoid. Furthermore, the walls I have built around my imperfect self not only cause me to have way too high standards for myself, but also inhibit my abilities to be completely authentic. In no way am I fake, but my ability to be 100% real is often lost.

3) When I first heard the class was going to have a project, I was not looking forward to it, but I was not concerned. As with any project, I rarely ever enjoy doing them, but I know I can do well on them pretty much regardless. But as the class began discussing the project more in depth, I immediately became guarded. A billion thoughts raced through my mind but I could not think of a single thing I could think of that I could talk about in front of an entire class and publish to an online blog for the whole world to see. As I imagined myself presenting in front of the class, I could picture my walls rising higher and higher. For the next few days, my mind remained blank as to ideas I could write and present about. Then I realized that this very project is a perfect representation of the core of many of the struggles I have faced my whole life. That's when I began writing this very post. Then I erased it and started over a few times, because the thought of exposing myself and my conflicts still scared me. But as the time the assignment was due quickly approached, I realized I had to start writing or I would fail the assignment. My high expectations for my grades came to a standstill with the walls my high expectations had built, and my walls lost the battle. Now here I am, over halfway done with an assignment I never thought possible.

4) As I have grown older, I have learned to let my walls down a bit more easily than before, because I have realized that no matter what I do, impossible expectations are not worth the burden they are, and the imperfect version of Samantha Dukes is not always so bad. My junior year was a major turning point for me, because I finally got to the point where I could not maintain a healthy lifestyle at the high level I was holding myself to. My attitudes were going to have to change or I would burn out. Even though I still struggle with high expectations and vulnerability, as seen by this project, I feel like I am improving at becoming more authentic and using my high standards in a more positive way, as more of a driving force than a weight on my shoulders.

5) By doing this project I have learned to step out of my comfort zone and accept that vulnerability and having flaws is actually better than perfection. I have learned that I can use my high expectations of myself as a positive force rather than a hindrance. All this time I've always thought of my walls as things that block other people out, but in reality they are just keeping me trapped inside. It is okay to have conflicts and struggles, because the area outside of our comfort zones are where we as people have the ability to grow.