Developing ‘Perspectives’

The past week I have made great strides on my project. I’ve spent time thinking about how I want to go about presenting the different experiences and perspectives, and I came to the conclusion of a TV show. Think SNL, but less comical. The show would combine short films and storytellers who represent each side of the argument, in hopes of offering people new perspectives.

I’ve decided to call the show Perspectives. Super creative, I know…but I like how its short and to the point. I’ve developed a logo, and I’m working on creating an outline for the show as well.

I have also asked three questions to multiple people in order to determine different issues people feel strongly about, whether or not they would be willing to watch a short film/listen to a story that would convey the other side, and exactly what about a movie leaves an impact on them. I got back many different issues as answers, generally everyone was open to watching a perspective of the other side, and a general theme that caused a movie to having an impact on someone was truthfulness.      

From here I have to develop my paper and Ted Talk. I’ve got a lot of ideas for what I want to say…I have about five videos on my phone from random moments when I had an idea on what to say, so I’m going to go back and watch them for inspiration.

I also am thinking about possibly creating the intro sequence for the show, but we’ll see. I almost feel as though the intro sequence should be different for each episode, depending on what issue the episode is about that week. For instance, if the episode is about gun control then the intro could be a bunch of news clips about the issue that show people on either side talking about it. There would be a montage of clips and then it would cut to the logo. I have a vision in my head…it’ll come together.

Changes

So I’ve been working on my purpose project for about a week now, and I sort of changed my entire direction. Before, I wanted to discover the steps of creating a movie, but then we had a discussion in class about arguments and how people typically only see one side, and fireworks went off in my head.

It got me thinking about opinions and beliefs and how they are typically sprung from our personal experiences. People have different experiences, and therefore have different beliefs. I imagine that if everyone was living the same life, we’d all think the same way. Thank goodness for different lives, because a world filled with all the same people would be quite boring. I do, however, think that it is important that we can at least develop an understanding and respect for people who hold different opinions from our own. I thought that if there was a way that people could experience others lives and what shapes their mindset, then maybe we would be more open minded as a society.

So I thought to myself, how can we go about exposing people to other sides, other experiences, and other lives? And that’s when it hit me… movies! Movies have a unique power of telling stories that can draw us in, shake us up, make us cry or make us laugh, and then spit us back out with new thoughts in our head, all in a matter of two hours.

I want to discover a way to utilize movie’s power of storytelling to allow people to be exposed to the experiences that make up the other side of the argument.

Right now I am researching what gives a movie its power, and why they certain films can be impactful on the audience.

I pitched my idea to my english class last week. We all got up and had sixty seconds to sell our idea to the class. I received a lot of positive feedback, and my english teacher lent me a book called Long Story Short by Margot Leitman. Margot is an award-winning storyteller, and her book is all about the art of storytelling, and how to go about telling a good story. I’m almost through the entire book, and I hope to use my finding into possibly creating my own short film about one of the social issues I feel needs to be addressed.

I’m excited to see where the rest of this project takes me, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Purpose Project

We are working on a project in English, where we are supposed to discover the point where our purpose and our passion cross paths. I didn’t think I’d have any issues coming up with an idea, because for the longest time I’ve known my passion/purpose in life is acting and filmmaking. However, what I couldn’t figure out is what exactly I wanted to do with that. After talking with my teacher and parents about some of my ideas, I came to the idea of producing my own short film. I want to discover the different steps and jobs in the process, starting with the idea, and hopefully ending with a finished film. I have never undertaken a project to this magnitude, especially with the time constraints I have, so I’m interested to see how it’s going to go.

I hope to uncover more about the importance of filmmaking in today’s society, and also discover its power of communication and storytelling. I also hope that this project will reassure my decision of going into the entertainment industry, and allows me to explore all of the other aspects of the business.

Alright…let’s make a movie!

The Mockingbird Is Not Dead

I finished reading To Kill A Mockingbird last week, but the mockingbird is not dead. Some books you read once and forget about, but then there are others that live on and you remember for the rest of your life. This book is one that I know I’m going to remember, and definitely one I will read again when I’m older and can possibly look at it through a different eye.

After finishing the book, my mom and I went to see one of our local community theaters perform the play. Seeing the characters I had envisioned in my mind up on stage, helped me to greater grasp parts of the story I may have missed while reading. Because a play is often limited to two hours, every part of the story and every little character wasn’t able to be included. However, with limited time, it forces only the critical and most principle moments to be incorporated.

The actors who played Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch, and Scout at the theater my mom and I had gone to.

One character that I didn’t see as significant in the book was Miss Maudie, however after watching the play I realized just how important she is to the story. Miss Maudie is one of the only people in the town who shares similar views with Atticus, and her conversations that she has with Scout offers further and different insight. She softens the children’s views of Boo Radley, and helps them (and the reader) to understand their town a little more, all while treating them with the respect she would show an adult.

One character that wasn’t in the play that I was a bit disappointed about was Dolphus Raymond. Raymond was only in one chapter of the book, and only had a few lines, but he had answered an important question about secret lives… Do people live secret lives in order to protect themselves, or to protect others? For a while I had thought it was for ourselves. We put a mask on in order to save ourselves from what others may think of us. However Dolphus Raymond is an example of someone who lives a secret life for the sake of others. Raymond preferred to hang out with the black people in the community, simply because of the hypocrisy of the white people. Because his preference goes against the logic of the rest of the community, he pretends to be a drunk alcoholic in order to give others a reason to blame his choices on.

“I try to give ’em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus raymond’s in the clutches of whisky – that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does.” – Dolphus Raymond (chapter 20)

Dolphus Raymond lives this life for the sake of others. People in Maycomb don’t like the idea that a white man would hang around black people in their right mind, and so he pretends in order to give them peace of mind.

Scout; Not So Little Anymore

Scout, along with the other children in the novel, hold such a beautiful innocence to the world around them. They grow up not knowing about the hate and racism that the town of Maycomb holds, and over the course of the novel, they are forced to deal with reality. By the end of the novel, Scout understands. She recognizes that her town has it’s issues, but they are taking the first small step to a better world.

Toward the end of the novel, Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell and Boo Radley steps in and saves them. In order to do so, Boo killed Bob Ewell. Heck Tate, the chief officer, doesn’t want to take Boo in for the crime, because he believes that Boo had to commit a crime in order to prevent a different (possibly worse) crime from happening. Scout puts it best when she says that telling people what Boo did would, “be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird.” Scout understands that Boo Radley is not as bad as she thought, in fact she realizes that he is actually a very nice man. Arresting him for his crime, would be arresting someone who was just trying to help. It would be like shootin a mockingbird. 

One of my favorite moments was when Scout was standing on Boo Radley’s front porch and was looking out across the neighborhood. She observed with a different perspective, she put herself in Boo’s shoes like Atticus had once told her to do, and at that moment I saw Scout as no longer just a little naive girl. She had grown and matured into a smart, strong young lady, a lady who still isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty of course!

Why Is This Novel Timeless?

How is it that this novel stands the test of time? Its read by millions of high schoolers all around the world, and then many of them will reread it later in their future. Besides the fact that the novel is an entertaining read with strong characters, it’s message is still something we deal with today. To Kill A Mockingbird deals with the issue of racism towards blacks, and unfortunately we still are fighting that battle. We are still making small steps towards a world of equality. When we read Black Men and Public Space,  Brent Staples, the author, described situations in which he felt as though he was treated different because of the color of his skin. In William James’s piece, he discussed how the appearance of someone causes emotions inside of us, and those emotions are often what cause us to judge someone prematurely. For some reason, even today a black person may cause feelings of fear inside other individuals, which causes a difference in how we act and interact. 

Although Harper Lee’s novel deals with racism toward black people, it isn’t limited to just that. The same story could have been told with Tom Robinson being someone of a different religion, sexuality, or gender. Even after black and white is looked at the same, the novel is still going to be relevant, because the world is always going to be dealing with racism or hatred towards some group of people. Lately in the United States we have still have inequality between men and women, people still see gay marriage as wrong, immigrants are looked at as bad people who steal our jobs. To Kill A Mockingbird will always be relevant until everyone can understand the  word equality. Until everyone can understand that no matter the color of your skin, the religion you chose to practice, where you’re from, your gender, sexuality, economic standing, morals, beliefs, political views, we are all equal and should be treated as such.

Although I loved the novel, I long for the day when To Kill A Mockingbird is no longer relevant.   

 

To Kill A Mockingbird: Not A Step By Step Guide

True Story: I was sitting on my brown couch in my sunroom. My dog Stella was curled up beside me, and I was reading this book for my english class. You may know it, it’s called To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Anyways, I was sitting there reading out loud to myself (and to my dog Stella of course), practicing my southern accent, and changing my voice for each character, when my mom walked into the room. She asked me what part I was at, and I told her. Then she proceeded to tell me that To Kill A Mockingbird was one of her favorite books and that she has read it multiple times. Before I knew it, she was in tears. For some reason, the book to her was so much more than just the words on the page, and by the time I finish it, I hope to understand why.

When I first learned that I was going to be reading To Kill A Mockingbird I will admit that I wasn’t that excited. I was quick to jump to the conclusion that it was going to be similar to Metamorphosis with no real plot or anything interesting about it at all. I judged a book by its cover, literally.

After the first chapter I was tempted to put the book down and walk away. It left me confused, and to be honest, I thought that it was going to be about forcing somebody out of the closet. I mean the line on the first page literally says, “He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out.” Now if you read that sentence and had absolutely no prior knowledge about the book, wouldn’t you think the same thing? Luckily, I was able to push through the first chapter, learn that the book was not about outing someone, and actually enjoy a book I was assigned to read for once.

I consider myself to be a very picky reader, but I enjoy reading To Kill A Mockingbird, in fact… I get into it. I like to read books out loud to myself, because I feel as though I get more out of it that way (plus it helps to develop my cold reading skills #actorslife). I have a different voice for each character, and over the chapters I feel as though I have developed a fairly strong southern accent.      

One of the central themes of the book is our inability as humans to truly see and understand the lives of others. One of Atticus’s lines is, “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This line resonated with me because of how much sense it makes. We cannot look in on someone’s life and believe that we understand them fully until we ourselves experience what their life is actually like. One thing that my acting coach always tells her students is that we must never judge our characters based on our own morals or values, because the second we do, we no longer understand them. When we judge somebody else from our own moral standpoint, we are no longer truly seeing the person for who they are, but rather we are seeing them as our own judgement.

Scout, Jem, and Dill, along with many other members of the town have made judgements about Boo Radley. Having never met him, these judgments are solely based off of stories and rumors they have heard from others. Boo Radley is living a “secret life,” and people don’t tend to mix well with secrets. Instead of living with a bit of wonder, they fill the gap of information by making up stories, which they talk and think about for so long, they convince themselves to be true.

One question that was posed in my class was, “do we truly know the people around us?” My answer to this question before I started reading To Kill A Mockingbird would have been yes, we do. To some extent at least. Of course we know some people better than others, but we generally know everyone we surround ourselves with on a daily basis. Now, after reading the first nine chapters and further discussing this question in small groups, my answer has changed. If you were to ask me the question again, my answer would be no, we don’t truly know the people around us. In fact, I don’t think we can truly know and understand even just one person completely. I was thinking about the possibility that I don’t even fully understand my own sisters. My sisters and I are extremely close, but there are still things about them that I don’t understand. My sisters and I live very different lives and have very different personalities, and some things about them I will never understand. Some choices they make will leave me wondering why. I question their actions sometimes too, but that’s because I’m not them! I don’t understand what goes on in their brain that leads them to a certain response. I base my life and decisions of off my own moral standards and opinions, and they do the same. I may never understand why they chose to do something differently than me, and that’s okay. And you know what? When I’m not with my sisters, I only know as much about what else happens in their life as they choose to tell me.

Now obviously I am much much closer to truly understanding my sisters than Scout, Jem, and Dill are to understanding Boo Radley, but I was just giving an example that we might not even completely know and understand even the people closest to us.

Scout is a character of interest to me. She is the narrator of the story, and the whole book is her reflecting upon this specific point in her life. Throughout the first nine chapters, Scout is a young girl just starting school, and she is still filled with innocence. She’s a tomboy, which I find helps to make her more appealing to both boys and girls. Although she is little, she is mighty. She is not afraid to voice what she has to say, even if it will get her into trouble, and is exceptionally smart compared to others in her class.

One of the main conflicts Scout faces is with her brother Jem. In the beginning of the novel, Jem and Scout are extremely close, but throughout the chapters the reader can feel them distancing. It starts by Jem simply telling her that she is becoming more like a girl each day, and then when they are on their way to school Jem tells her not to talk to him, and finally Dill and Jem start to exclude her from certain games. Scout also struggles with fitting in with Jem and Dill, because she is uneasy and hesitant when it comes to Boo Radley. When the boys want to try and communicate with him, or see him, she is often afraid, although she feels she has to follow what Jem and Dill do, because she does not want to be left out.       

“Jem said placidly, “We are going to give a note to Boo Radley.” “Just how?” I was trying to fight down the automatic terror rising in me.”

Throughout the first nine chapters Scout is forced to face some of her fears because of her want to fit in with Jem and Dill.

After a group discussion, I was left questioning Boo Radley, and what kind of person he actually is. Was he the one leaving the items in the hole in the tree? What was the significance behind those items? Did he really give Scout the blanket, and if so, why?

At this point Boo Radley’s life is as much of a secret to the reader as it is to Scout, and I hope we start learning more about him soon. Is he really the person the people in town make him out to be?  

I’m Not Very Religious, But I Read A Book On Buddhism…

Well, it’s true. I read a book on Buddhism, and I actually liked it.

Religion has never been a big part of my life. Whereas many families have the tradition of going to church on Christmas Eve, my family’s Christmas Eve traditions consisted of fondue, making reindeer food out of oatmeal and glitter, and reading Auntie Claus. In a way, I am glad that I never had religion pushed upon me as a child, because it allowed me to formulate my own opinions on issues and be more open to the beliefs of others.

I’m not trying to say that religion is a bad thing, because it’s not. I know a lot of people who use their belief in God as a safe haven, and find comfort in their religion, and that is wonderful. But, that sort of thing doesn’t really appeal to me. I guess you could call me an Agnostic, because I believe that there’s something greater than ourselves, but I don’t know if that thing is necessarily a God.

?

You might be wondering why I chose to read a book on Buddhism if religion has never enticed me before. Well here’s what I have to say…as I grew up, and as I continue to grow up, I feel as though I have lead myself to Buddhism. Unlike most kids who are born into a religion, I was born having the option to find my own way. It was my own choices that I have made in life thus far that brought me to my interest in Buddhism. For instance, I went vegetarian in eighth grade, and then from there I went vegan about a year later. Compassion is one of the main pillars of Buddhism, and many Buddhist chose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle because of that. Also, ever since I was introduced to meditation in ninth grade, I have incorporated it into my everyday lifestyle. Meditation is also a big part of Buddhism. And then there is also the fact that I just try to always try to be a good person.

My Aunt Julie was the one who first brought my attention to Buddhism. She’s a yoga instructor and has always been an advocate for self love and selfless love towards others. She told me that I would probably agree with many of Buddha’s teachings, and that I might enjoy learning more about it.

She was right.

For Christmas I received a book called Buddhism, Beginner’s Guide to Understanding and Practicing Buddhism to Become Stress and Anxiety Free by Michael Williams. I started reading it right away, and even brought it to my Grandparent’s Christmas Party. Upon finishing the first few pages, I immediately felt a sense of peace. I remember the exact line that I read, which made me feel like for the first time in a while, I was finally present, focused only on the moment at hand… 

“First, do take comfort in being here right now: reading this book and acquiring the knowledge that can help you find true happiness in everyday life. One of the most essential teachings of Buddhism is an understanding that where you are at this moment is exactly where you are intended to be.” 

As I continued to read the book I found myself repeating, “Ok wow, that is literally me.” over and over in my head.

One part of Buddhism that I like, is that although it is technically called a religion, it is more of a lifestyle. Plus, there is no God. The first Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, is not a god, and people who follow Buddhism do not pray to him. He is simply a reminder to other people on their journey, that enlightenment is attainable.

A person who is on their quest to reach enlightenment would follow what is known as the Noble Eightfold Path, also known as the Middle Path. The Noble Eightfold Path is usually divided into three core divisions, Wisdom, Moral Virtue, and Meditation.  Wisdom is further broken down into Right View (how you should perceive karma and rebirth), and Right Resolve (having the right thought and intention behind your actions). Moral Virtue is further broken down into Right Speech (absence of lying, divisive speech, abusive speech, and idle chatter) , Right Conduct (to abstain from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct), and Right Livelihood (when you chose to uphold your virtue and avoid being the cause of others suffering). Lastly, Meditation is further broken down into Right Effort (your strength to chose to do right each day), Right Mindfulness (the state in which you become mindful of the present moment), and Right Samadhi (the state of intense concentration).

 

Dharma Wheel : each peg represents a pillar of the Noble Eightfold Path

Now, I’m not by any means calling myself a Buddha, or even saying that I understand the teachings of the Buddhist practice, after all I only know as much as 158 pages can teach. What I am saying is that I want to keep learning, and implementing more parts of Buddhism into my life. I think we all could learn from it.

 

Dorothy Must Die Book Review

In a world where OZ is no longer run by the beautiful Queen Glinda, but instead by the evil tyrant by the name of DOROTHY.

Recently, I finished reading the novel Dorothy Must Die. It is a fantasy novel by Danielle Paige that runs 452 pages in length. Below is an image of the front cover, followed by a synopsis of the book (don’t worry, no spoilers).

Dorothy Must Die follows Amy, the other girl from Kansas. When a tornado sweeps Amy Gumm up and away, she finds herself in none other than OZ itself. However, it is not the OZ she remembers reading about, or watching in the movies. The OZ she finds herself stuck in is scary, depressed, and filled with suppressed citizens. There is no magic, there is no singing and dancing. Amy soon learns that Dorothy had returned back to OZ and worked herself into power. She had become self-centered and a magic hog.

I know, shocking!

Amy quickly gets taken in by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked – a group of wicked witches who have banded together in an attempt to save OZ. They train Amy to fight, and use magic, and once she is ready, she is sent off to work at Dorothy’s castle. There, she only has one job – to kill Dorothy.

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“Down is up. Up is down. Good is wicked. Wicked is good. The times are changing. This is what OZ has come to.” 

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Dorothy Must Die is a fairly easy read with many twists and turns and interesting, relatable characters. It is the first book in a series of five total books. So, if you want to read this book, be prepared to read the other four in order to hear the end of the story.

I would recommend Dorothy Must Die to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy novels filled with magic and fun creatures. But also keep in mind that even if you aren’t a big fan of fantasy, you may still enjoy reading this book. Dorothy Must Die has a good mix of real and fake. Although there is magic (and a talking lion), the story itself is not over the top fantasy. Amy – coming from the real world – faces issues at home and at school that make her a relatable character and easy to sympathise with.

Remember, WICKED is GOOD

 

 

Medcalf Podcast

One of Medcalf’s biggest points is that the school system doesn’t teach students the right way. Instead of being force fed information all day, he believes students need to learn through real life experiences. He also talks a lot about struggle and how it is important for building one’s character.  

One thing that the host mentioned was that when he sees his kids spending a lot of time on technology, he asks them, “if you were to write a book about your life, would anybody read it? “This statement really made me think about how much time I actually spend sitting on my phone. If I were to put as much time into learning a new skill as I do sitting on my phone scrolling through Instagram, or opening Snapchat’s, or watching YouTube videos, I probably could have mastered all of the skills in the world. After hearing that statement I went into the settings of my phone and found how many hours a week I actually spend on those apps…12.7 hours…on those three apps alone. That is most definitely not a book someone would want to read.

“If you were to write a book about your life, would anybody read it?” That is a question I’m going to start asking myself more.  

I have always wanted to walk into school and be able to learn what I want to know about, so if I was given that opportunity I would not waste it. Like Medcalf said, school doesn’t teach us valuable information, it teaches us the information we need to pass different standardized tests. Hello, I’ve been saying that for years. The school system really is a screwy cycle ya know. I’m forced to get up early every morning, go into school, and learn information that I won’t remember after I pass the test. If you were to ask me one thing that I learned last year that I will always remember and carry throughout life, I wouldn’t have an answer for you. Had I been able to personalize my learning to match my interests, then maybe I’d have a different answer. One question I always am asking is, “if I already know what I want to do when I’m older, why do I have to take classes that don’t relate?” As far as I’m concerned no actor has ever needed the tools precalc teaches.

It’s exciting to learn that there are other people who believe that the whole school system is ineffective, and set up to cause students stress, and ensure they fail to reach the unattainable standards it places on them.

Final Haroun Post

My group worked together very well while creating our presentation. We started with the question, “In what way can we best represent the monomyth journey in Haroun and the Sea of Stories?” Then, it came to us, the best way to show the different steps was not creating a poster or a powerpoint… no… the best way to represent the steps was to actually act them out in a series of skits.

Once we established the fact that we were going to do a skit, more and more ideas started to come to us. Kendall was going to design backgrounds, Glenn was going to add music, Aiden and I were going to work together to write all the scripts, and I was going to collect and make all the props we would need. And of course, Aiden would be able to include his interpretive dance.

We were all so excited to start working!

As a group we discussed what steps needed to be included in the skit, and where exactly in the novel those steps took place. Once we had that figured out, Aiden and I started cracking down on the scripts. One thing we tried to do was create the lines in the script by using the actual lines in the story. Most of Mali’s and the Fish’s lines were their actual lines in the book.

As more of the scripts were completed, it became easier and easier to envision our final project, and exactly how we were going to stage it. Once every script was complete we read through them and began to act them out. This step of the creative process was the most rewarding for me. It was so fulfilling to see the scripts come to life, and watch my group members fully immerse themselves in their characters.    

My next job that I had to complete before we would be ready to present, was the creation of the props. The weekend before our presentation I spent most of my time designing and making the different costumes and props that were needed. Mali’s costume was one of my favorites, and the Plentimaw Fish were nothing short of fantastic. I came into school monday morning with two huge bags filled to the top with all of my creations, and a big smile on my face.

I was extremely happy with my group’s final product. Our skits had the audience laughing, but it also accurately conveyed the steps of the monomyth in Haroun and the Sea of Stories.

Creating our presentation in the way we did made me more acquainted with the monomyth lens, and it allowed me to clearly see exactly how Rushdie used it in his book.

The other presentations done in my class were all fabulous! Each was unique and creatively executed. From the Allegory group, I learned about the connections between the characters in the novel and Rushdie’s real life. For instance Rushdie’s character of Rashid was based off of Rushdie himself. Both Rashid and Rushdie faced issues with their freedom of speech. The Allusions group told the class about the various other novels and stories that were represented in Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Stories such as Star Wars, Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland could all be connected in one way or another. Lastly the Satire group discussed the lightness and humor in the book, and how it was used to criticize certain topics and issues. The bright and funny mood of the story makes the story readable for children, but any reader who really reads into the story deeply would be able to recognize the humor as a form of satire.

What’s the use of stories that aren’t even true?

The monomyth provides authors with a template to format their story on. It ensures the story will not only complete a full cycle with a clear beginning, middle, and end, but it also makes the story relatable. It allows the characters to make the necessary mistakes in order to teach the lessons, and provides the reader with a sense of satisfaction when the hero completes his quest and makes it to the end of his journey. More stories than we may realize follow the path of a monomyth, Star Wars and many of the Harry Potter books to name a few.

Although the monomyth provides an author with a very basic template, the authors ability to utilize the template to its full potential, and also build off of it, allows stories to have deeper themes and messages. Stories teach readers lessons through make believe situations, and that is why we tell them…

 

Haroun and the Sea of Stories (3)

Well I’ve finished the book. Its Khattam-shud.

The end of the story is a bit strange. I found myself liking some aspects of the story’s ending, as well as wishing some parts were done differently. SPOILER ALERT… the one thing about the end that I didn’t necessarily enjoy was the whole part when Haroun was called to speak with the Walrus, and he thought he was in trouble, but it turned out it was actually some surprise. I thought it did not fit well with the rest of the book, I found it very awkward. A part I did like though, was when Haroun and Rashid got home and it was raining in the town. Everyone was outside dancing because the town had remembered its name, which was Kahani. That part of the book I thought was cute and enjoyed, the whole surprise part just missed the target for me.

One of my favorite quotes from the entire story is said by the Walrus on page 202 of the book. He says, “Happy endings must come at the end of something. If they happen in the middle of a story, or an adventure, or the like, all they do is cheer things up for awhile.” This quote resonated with me after I read it, and I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps it is because of the truthfulness it carries, or because of its poetic sound, but whatever the reason it stuck to me. The statement makes an interesting point on the fact that “happy endings” may not even exist, because if it doesn’t come at the end, all it really is is a cheerful moment. I like to believe that the stories I read go on and on even after I’ve read all the pages. I like to think that my beloved characters continue on to live their lives, so I guess I’ve never actually read a book with a happy ending, because stories for me never truly end.

I don’t know, the quote just really made me question everything I knew about happy endings.

One point of conversation during the discussion I had in class on the last few chapters of the book was that the Moon of Kahani and the sad city in Alifbay were essentially the same thing. We were discussing how they may be parallel universes, and although it seems far fetched, the idea intrigued me. We talked about how many of the characters from the sad city had equals on the Moon of Kahani. The Mail Driver was Butt the Hoopoe, Mr. Sengupta was Khattam-Shud. Those two are very obvious ones, but there were others that weren’t so clear. For example, Soraya was the Sea of Stories. Both used to be so vibrant and colorful, but they were later polluted and needed saving. Then we discusses how Rashid and Haroun were the “constants” that could travel back and forth and stay the same in both universes.   

Whether or not Salman Rushdie intended for their to be character overlap like that or not, my group developed a strong conspiracy theory throughout our discussion. (Shane Dawson hit us up to be in your next Youtube video)

One question my lens group has been asking throughout the entire novel is why did Salman Rushdie chose to write his novel through cliches and basic story formats. One thing I think is important to remember about the Monomyth lens, is that it is a simple way to go about exploring complex ideas and ensuring you don’t run off the track. I mean, it is the perfect way to describe any sort of change, and any good story is going to have some element of change in it. Using the monomyth structure can also make the story more relatable. Everyone and their mothers has gone through a time in their life where change occured, and chances are they went through a similar cycle.

 

Fictional stories are morally good lies… Fictional stories are morally good lies… Fictional stories are morally good lies… Fictional stories are morally good lies… Fictional stories are morally good lies…. I’ve heard that statement about a billion times in the past few weeks and it still leaves me wondering. I understand the whole idea that stories are lies because they aren’t true, but I don’t believe they are all necessarily good. I mean what if a story was about how murdering people is good for the economy? Would that still be considered morally good?  I DON’T KNOW! I believe Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a morally good lie, because it conveys powerful and important messages throughout an untrue story. For example, it heavily discusses how critical freedom of speech is and the POWER of words.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories has brought me a lot of frustration (these blogs are not an easy thing to do), but it has also brought me a lot of laughter and joy (putting together the final project). I cannot say that Haroun and the Sea of Stories is one of my favorite books, but I can say that I have never dove deeper into a story, or understood a book on as many levels as I do this one. Reading through the monomyth lens made me realize the simple form the book is written in, but it also made me realize the way something so simple can carry more complexity than it seems. The discussions we had in class forced me to peel back more and more layers of the story as if it were an onion, each layer bringing me greater knowledge and a deeper understanding of the words on the page.

There are a few specific facts people often take away from school, the Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, and the order of operations (PEMDAS)… Haroun and the Sea of Stories has just been added to that list for me. Like I said, I have never dove so deep into the Sea of Stories.