Ten Classics Most Intimidating: Classics Club November Meme

(But I Know I’ll Read Anyway)

November’s prompt for The Classics Club monthly meme is…

What classic piece of literature most intimidates you, and why? (Or, are you intimidated by the classics, and why? And has your view changed at all since you joined our club?)

Starting early this year I’ve been collecting, sorting, and editing list of classics works for The Classics Club Project, which is now have been expanding to 120 (instead of 100 which I listed when I decided to join the project). Among them there are books that I really want to read, but somehow intimidate me to start with. These are ten of them (11 originally, but I have scraped Gone With The Wind) :

The Origin of Species – Charles Darwin

I don’t read many non fictions, but I think I need to give Darwin a try; his work has been inspiring the world. After reading Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder, I was more convinced that I must read Darwin one day. From many reviews I have been browsing, most of them said that Darwin’s language is quite understandable even if we are not scientists or biologists, and the book is far from boring. This is comforting….

The Divine Comedy – Dante Aleghieri

Poems are not my favorite reading, but again, I think I must give this particular one a try. Plus, I have picked Dante’s Inferno for my The Well Educated Mind Self-Project, so I know I must get on this in no time.

Cicero's Selected Works – Marcus Tullius Cicero

Treatises on Old Age & Friendship – Marcus Tullius Cicero

I am a fan of Roman history, and have read quite many of Roman themed historical fiction. One of my favorites was Robert Harris’ Imperium (and the sequel: Conspirata), a story about the biggest orator of all time: Cicero. After reading this, I began to fall in love with Cicero, I admire his principles and his speeches, so, I think I must at least try to read few of his works (non fiction again..). I picked the above two titles (the only two I can find in online store and gutenberg), I’m not sure whether I will read both of them, but I’ll try one for sure.

Moby Dick – Herman Melville

This one is intimidating mostly because of the length of the story. But if I succeeded in conquering the 1448 pages of Gone With The Wind, I’m sure I can do this one too. I just hope the language is not too difficult…

Candide – Voltaire

I have thought that Candide is a tough read, but from several reviews I read, I’m convinced that instead of giving a headache, Candide is enjoyable to read. I’ll come to you soon, Voltaire!

War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

Big chunk book, Russian literature and Leo Tolstoy; three threatening aspects for a bookworm! But who could resist the temptation to read War and Peace? Maybe I just have to prepare a whole one (or two?) month together with several light readings to get into this book. Well, maybe a company to read it along is even better. Anyone?.... Melisa? Bzee?

The Prince – Niccolo Machiavelli

I’m not quite sure why this book has been intimidating for me, maybe from the synopsis, but I have a feeling that I’d love it.

The Sorrows of Young Werther – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Goethe’s name I think, that has made this book intimidating for me, but still, I’d read it anyway.

Siddharta – Herman Hesse

I am assuming Siddharta as a philosophical book, thus is quite intimidating, but if I could manage to finish Sophie’s World, I might give this one a try, especially after Tze Wen encouraged me.. ;)

What about you? What classics is/are most intimidating for you?

The Scarlet Letter

In the Puritan society in New England, Hester Pryne committed adultery with a man whom she concealed the identity. For that, she must wear the scarlet letter of ‘A’ (symbolizing ‘Adultery’] embroidered on her bosom, and was expelled from the society together with her daughter Pearl. An old physician—who turned out to be her long missing husband and called himself Roger Chillingworth—promised Hester that he would take avenge to her lover. His suspicion was soon directed to a Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, whom Chillingworth then took as his patient, to be able to ruin his soul.

This is a tale about sin and passion, beautifully written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Although many times I got confused with his so many metaphors and magic realism symbols, I finally managed to grab most of the meanings in the end. Really worth the effort, because I have been enjoying reading this book right from the first sentence of the first chapter! Four stars for The Scarlet Letter; and these are my answers to the inquiries from my The Well Educated Mind Self-Project.

Grammar Stage Inquiry [What]

Which character is the most affected? How is that character affected by the book’s main event?

It’s all about Hester Pryne. It’s Hester Pryne’s battle to be repented from her sin: How a woman survived pressures from Puritan’s unfair system by bearing her humiliation; but in the end she proved that she cultivated much more than the hypocrite society by bearing her symbol of sin, in contrast with her companion of the crime—who faded away from the world after being mistakenly praised as holy and divine by the same society.

Logic Stage Inquiry [Why & How]

What does Hester Pryne want? What is standing in her way? What strategy does she pursue in order to overcome this block?

Hester wanted to be set free or repented from her sin. However, voluntarily wearing the scarlet letter and performing good deeds for the poor were not sufficient to change society’s view on her. As long as she wore the scarlet letter, people would always regard her only as an adulterer, a poor sinner, no less or no more than that. So, Hester kept bearing all the tortures in her in order to be stronger. Her little Pearl was also a big help for her to survive. Together they lived a humble life, never wanted more than the society permit them, but when the magistrates wanted to take Pearl from her, Hester did everything she could to keep Pearl.

Image and metaphor, is any particular image repeated again and again? What does this represent?

First, the contrast of gloomy prison door and the shining rosebush in front of it; the prison door represented the sin (dark patches in human’s soul), while the bright rosebush represented the fruits which culminated from the sin. From the seclusion from the society, Hester sprung out of her sin, being a much stronger than before, that enabled her to help others and performing many good deeds for the society. In other words, Hester’s sin had outshone the pureness that the Puritans were proud of themselves.

Second, the scarlet ‘A’ letter. It shone on Hester’s bosom, glowing even more in the dark; represented the sin that Hester honestly admitted glowed from the dark hypocrisy of Puritan society. Pearl’s particular interest in the scarlet letter (she even wrought the same letter from seaweed for herself) represented her self as the fruit of the adultery, who at the end could have a happier life outside New England.

The scarlet letter appeared as stigmata in Dimmesdale’s chest to represent that once you commit a sin, it would stay there as long as you permit it. You have the choice whether to admit it or to hide it behind your hypocrisy, it’s all the same, you are a sinner.

The letter ‘A’ represented how people used to see things as they wanted to see. When a letter ‘A’ appeared on the horizon, Dimmesdale took it as the sign of what he feared the most: that his sin was to be revealed. However, people saw it as ‘Angel’ because a worthy Governor died at the same hour, and they imagined angels came to pick him up. On the other hand, several people who regarded Hester’s willing hands to help people in needs, assumed the ‘A’ on her bosom has changed to ‘Able’.

Rhetorical Stage Inquiry [So What]

What does the setting of the book tell you about the way human beings are shaped?

I don’t know much about Puritan, but from this book I think Puritan only made people look ‘pure’ on the outside, but not in the inside. They created strict laws, dull lifestyle, they prevented the society to have pleasures. They praised their magistrates and church authorities, they were touched by any beautifully-performed sermons, but they forgot to bear in mind the real essence of them. You were regarded highly in the society only if you were ‘pure’, there’s no place for wrong doing, because once you committed it, you were banished from the society. The pressures were so high that I think they were far away from being happy, and made them hypocrites.

What exactly is the writer telling you?

That humanity lies not on the right or wrong, holy or sinful, but on our decisions and principles, on what we do and what we think. People do make mistakes, but it’s not on the size of the mistake that we should judge others, but by what they do from that. Remarkable things might come from sinful personages, amazing yet true, just as the rosemary bushes could culminate from the death soil in front of the old prison door….

Do you agree? Is this work true? In what sense is the book true?

Although Hawthorne picked Puritan era as the setting, the conflicts were still relevant to today’s life, so I can say positively that this work is true. I have created a diagram of Hester vs Dimmesdale, in term of how they made up with their sins, and from that I could see that life is not black or white, but we grow up from mistakes and sins; that if we are brave and strong, we can change our dark past to a fruitful future, not only for ourselves, but also for the world. Just as Hester Pryne had done.  

Character Thursday For Let’s Read Plays

One aspect in reading plays that is quite different from prose, is that we get so familiar with the characters. Scenes in the plays enable us to see them vividly in every act, dialog and emotion. During Let’s Read Plays event, I am inviting you to post about these characters, which will add more fun to the yearlong event! As I already have my own Character Thursday feature, I’m thinking about combining these feature & event.

In short, you can….

• Choose any character from plays you read (as many as characters from each play, and from as many as plays you like).
• Post each of your character analysis/summary on Thursdays.
• Link up each your post in the linky in my Character Thursday post on the respective week.
• I will update your Character Thursday posts below this original post.
• All Character Thursday posts would be eligible for my giveaway at the end of the event (only for signed up participants – see the list in Sign Up post).

I’m waiting for your Character Thursdays, and have fun… :)

LIST OF CHARACTER THURSDAYS FOR PLAYS:

Shakespeare's Tragedy:

Julius Caesar
(1) Listra (Portia) -- (2) Fanda (Brutus) -- (4) Fanda (Cassius) -- (6) Bzee (Julius Caesar)

Macbeth
(3) Arenel (Banquo) --

Romeo and Juliet
(5) Dessy (Mercutio) --

Antony and Cleopatra
(7) Fanda (Mark Antony) -- (8) Fanda (Cleopatra) --

King Lear
(18) Fanda (Earl of Kent) -- (19) Fanda (Cordelia) --


Shakespeare's Comedy:

Two Gentlemen of Verona
(9) Listra (Silvia) --

The Merchant of Venice
(10) Fanda (Portia) -- (11) Fanda (Antonio)

As You Like It
(13) Bzee (Orlando) -- (14) Bzee (Rosalind)

The Tempest
(15) Ann (Ferdinand) --

The Taming of the Shrew
(20) Fanda (Katharina)

Love's Labor's Lost
(21) Listra (Berowne)


Other Authors:

Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
(12) Listra (Roxane) --

The Crucible by Arthur Miller
(14) Maria (Abigail Williams) -- (16) Maria (Samuel Parris)

Medea by Euripides
(17) Fanda (Medea) --

Oscar Wilde
(22) Bzee (Lord Goring)

Julius Caesar – Act I

Scene I – Rome. A Street

Marullus and Flavius sent away two commoners who were taking a holiday and dressed to take part in rejoicing Julius Caesar’s triumph; for Caesar did not deserved the same treatment as what they had given Pompey, Caesar’s triumph was nothing compared to Pompey’s.

Note:

* One witty scene [Marullus & 2^nd Commoner – a cobbler]:

Marullus:     “What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, what trade?” 

Commoner: “Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me; yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you.” –l. 84 :)

* Here is the early sign of conspiracy….

Scene II – A Public Place

• Caesar was preparing for his course with Mark Antony, while a Soothsayer warned him about the prophecy of the Ides of March, which Caesar instantly ignored as a nonsense (“He is a dreamer, let us leave him”.)
• Cassius held Brutus out of the others, and began to approach him for conspire against Caesar, and to convince Brutus that people loved him. Brutus still hesitate, as he was a noble man who did not want to plunged in Rome’s politics :

“If I be aught toward the general good,

Set honor in one eye and death i’ the other

And I will look on both indifferently.

For let the gods so speed me as I love

The name of honor more than I fear death” –l. 139

“Brutus had rather be a villager,

Than to repute himself a son of Rome

Under these hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us.” –l. 167

Mark Antony offers Caesar
the crown

Notes:

* Cassius envied Caesar, was that his real reason for building the conspiracy?

“…and this man is now become a god, and Cassius is 

A wretched creature and must bend his body 

If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.” -l. 146

* Shakespeare used a metaphor ‘the falling sickness’ (meant for epilepsy, which Caesar did suffered from) for Rome’s condition at that time under Caesar’s tyranny.

Brutus:  “Tis very like. He hath the falling sickness.”

Cassius: “No, Caesar hath it not, but you, and I,

                  And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness.”

* Cassius seemed to be not really sure yet whether Cicero was in their side or not. On the event of Mark Antony “pretended” to offer Caesar the crown and Caesar “pretended” to refuse, Cassius asked Casca:

Cassius: “Did Cicero say anything?”

Casca:    “Ay, he spoke Greek.”

Cassius: “To what effect?”

Why else was Cassius so interested in Cicero’s comment in particular?

Scene III – A Street. Thunder & Lightning

• Great thunder and lightning 'swayed' Rome, and Casca reported to Cicero several preternatural things in the city, which he was sure to be signs of something terrible to happen.
• Cassius was approaching Casca for the conspiracy too, and Casca joined him.
• Cassius sent Cinna (already in the group of conspiracy) to sent several letters to Brutus as if they were from people who could no longer resist Caesar’s tyranny.

Note:
* As usual, Cicero did not believe in any sign of superstitious.

"Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time.
But men may construe things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves."

* Cassius criticized Romans who got weaker so Caesar can became a tyrant.

Weekend Quote 10: The Scarlet Letter

I happened to find this lovely quote from The Scarlet Letter. This quote appeared in the narration, when Hester and Dimmesdale met each other in the forest in ‘A Flood of Sunshine’ chapter. This was a crucial moment for both of them, for many things changed (especially for Dimmesdale) after this forest excursion. Here is the quote…

Love, whether newly born or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance, that it overflows upon the outward world.

In fact, I believe that Dimmesdale found his courage and new spirit from his meeting with Hester, particularly after having Hester’s love and support. Without it, I think Dimmesdale would keep continuing his life under the evil power until his death. Love DOES create sunshine, doesn’t it?

This Weekend Quote is hosted by Half-Filled Attic. Feel free to join. You can:

• Give the context of the quote
• Give your opinion whether you agree or disagree with it
• Share your experience related to the quote
• Share similar quotes you remember
• Or anything else. Just have fun with the quote.

Hester’s Way Or Dimmesdale’s Way?

When I was working out with The Scarlet Letter for my The Well Educated Mind self-project, I came to the thoughts of “Sin” and “Repentance”. Hester and Dimmesdale were both sinned, they worked together to their falls, however each proceeded with different ways. And suddenly I was curious to watch both their progresses, and how their conducts brought them to their ends. So I made this diagram, to conclude in the end, who’d succeed and who’d failed. This is interesting….

I think we can learn from this diagram too—I don’t say that we must wear a kind of token to show off our sin in public, but I am thinking about how we’d best represent ourselves before God. Only with humbleness and openness we could receive His mercy and forgiveness, and with that we could revive from our sin, and instead of fading from life like Arthur Dimmesdale, we could be more useful for others, or for the society, just like Hester.

Why had Hester Pryne succeeded? I incline to think that she had been purged from her burden of sin by wearing the scarlet letter, and at the same time accepted in her calmness of being secluded, humiliated and scowled by the Puritans, while she kept doing kindness to them. All these lifted her burden, and she could renew her life after her freedom, she had her own choices.

Why had Arthur Dimmesdale failed? Because he was too hypocrite and too cowardice to admit that he was a sinner. He had accepted what he deserved for all his services to God (people appraisal). I can only think that Dimmesdale did his sermons and anything else just to get God’s (and people’s) rewards. In the end his sin only made his divine efforts distinguished.

So, which way would you choose for your own, Hester’s way, or Dimmesdale’s way? :)

The Scarlet Letter – Summary Chapter XXI – XXIV

Chapter XXI – The New England Holiday

Election Day was one of the rare holidays for New England when the Puritans—usually repressed by their strict law—could enjoy merriments; this was also the day Hester would be set free from wearing the scarlet letter. Chillingworth appeared and had conversation with vessel’s captain—who previously had arranged to take Hester and Dimmesdale in his boat; then the captain informed Hester that they would have another passenger, which was—in Hester’s horror—the old physician.

Chapter XXII – The Procession

The procession began, exhibiting the honorable ranks of the magistrates and citizens, then appeared Rev. Dimmesdale appeared, energetic and with an angelic look. Hester felt as if Dimmisdale had gone away from her, she then approached near the scaffold—where she had been seven years ago—to listen to Dimmesdale coming Election Sermon.

Chapter XXIII – The Revelation of The Scarlet Letter

Rev. Dimmesdale’s sermon was so wise and holy to the people’s ears, however at the end of it he looked suddenly pale and feeble; he called Hester and Little Pearl to step up on the scaffold with him, while dismissing Chillingworth’s last attempt to win his soul. Dimmesdale finally admitted to the public that he was the man who committed adultery with Hester, and proved it by tearing his robe to reveal what some of the people witnessed as a scarlet letter on his bosom; he finally died after having kissed Pearl.

Chapter XXIV – Conclusion

There are many speculations about what was the mark on Dimmesdale’s bosom; meanwhile Chillingworth’s energy had vanished after his vengeance came to end, and he bequeathed his estates to Little Pearl before his death. Hester and Pearl disappeared from New England, but some years later Hester returned alone to her old cottage and kept the scarlet letter and giving counsels and comforts to the people in sorrow as her repentance; while Pearl had married and lived happily somewhere.