Pride & Prejudice

"Every lingering struggle in his favour grew fainter and fainter; and in farther justification of Mr. Darcy, she could not but allow that Mr. Bingley, when questioned by Jane, had long ago asserted his blamelessness in the affair; that proud and repulsive as were his manners, she had never, in the whole course of their acquaintance--an acquaintance which had latterly brought them much together, and given her a sort of intimacy with his ways--seen anything that betrayed him to be unprincipled or unjust--anything that spoke him of irreligious or immoral habits; that among his own connections he was esteemed and valued--that even Wickham had allowed him merit as a brother..." -Pride and Prejudice

Having seen the old (BBC) and the new version of Pride and Prejudice, reading the book was my next step. I fell in love with Mr. Darcy, and I was charmed and struck with admiration of Elizabeth Bennet. Surprisingly, I could reflect upon the characters, connecting their lives with mine. Although I have that missing romance, my experiences have been full of misunderstandings and prejudices as these characters have experienced to a much greater extent. 

The most unexpected people will surprise you. Mr. Darcy did just that. I felt equally surprised and shocked as Elizabeth when she found out that the man she thought she knew to be proud and haughty was a man who has much more good in him.  He widened my eyes, scorched any past prejudices towards him, and leveraged my appreciation of his true disposition.

As Elizabeth begins to  recognize the nobility of Darcy's character , she acknowledges her errors in her prejudices against this man. Mr. Darcy's devotion to Elizabeth to redeem himself is admirable, succeeding with his actions towards saving her and her family from disgrace, and succeeding in obtaining Elizabeth's respect.

Potential Aritcles

1.The National
Here is one of my favorite indie/alternative bands. My friend had recommended me this band a year ago. We share many of our favorites tracks with one another...

2. Kaki King
A guitar goddess. Through my connections with my dear friend, we share a love for this unique artist who is usually unknown to the mainstream community. Among the indie/alternative and guitarists communities, she is well known and loved for her capabilities in guitar and singing. Her music is raw and not defected with synthesizers and auto-tune. Unlike most "artificial" artists today, Kaki creates her sounds with the utmost artistic style and creativity...

Duo known as FIRST AID KIT perform in New York at Washing Sqare Park.

3.SHOOT THE PLAYER

Holly Miranda performing at the Sydney Opera House

Filmmakers, Amelia Tovey and Jonathon Wald, shoot singers and indie groups that may be well known or arising in the alternative community. With over 100 music films, the talented filmmakers capture the performers in iconic and sometimes oridnary locations around the world. Their interaction with their present environments give these films an originality that can not be mimicked.

"...the emptiness of a creature...": The Virgin Suicides

"We could hear her feet right above us. Halfway up the staircase to the second floor her steps made no more noise, but it was only thirty seconds later that we heard the wet sound of her body falling onto the fence that ran alongside the house. First came the Sound of wind, a rushing we decided later must have been caused by her wedding dress filling air." -Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides

Here is an excerpt from the tragic and elegiac story, The Virgin Suicides, describing the horrific sounds the group of neighborhood boys and the conservative Lisbon family hear from downstairs in their home, as the youngest Lisbon girl falls and impales herself on the fence post.

Looking for an unconventional and twisted story to jump into, this novel’s two powerful words of the title tackled my attention. Set in Michigan during the 1970s, the story focuses on the suicides of the five Lisbon sisters. From the perspective of five anonymous men, who in their youths were infatuated and intrigued by the sisters, I was absorbed by the fascination, curiosity, and shock the suicidal girls’ stimulated within the community. Their behavioral patterns differed and did not correlate with custom suicidal patterns according to the community psychiatrist, and this puzzled me.

In the novel, the community especially the boys, attempted to formulate a theory as to why these girls committed suicide. Investigating and interviewing past community members, the men who knew the Lisbons, tried to piece together the story and tried to reason why the girls took such extreme actions.

Did the world bear too many flaws that they could not accept the world as it was given to them? Could these girls have lost their motivation to live, especially after their precious sister’s death? Perhaps their hearts were overburdened or even worse, empty. Either way, the knowledge that these five charming and unique girls simply gave up is a mysterious elegy.

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“We knew, finally, that the girls were really women in disguise, that they understood love and even death, and that our job was merely to create the noise that seemed to fascinate them.” –The boys reading Cecelia’s diary and feeling and understanding the girls’ nature.  

Dead Poet's Society Opening Sequence

 Introducing a high profile boy’s school environment, the Dead Poets Society opening sequence creates a feel of tradition, legacy, and long-held honor. The beginning shot, centered on a painting of uniformed and seemingly audacious school boys similar to the ones shown later in the film, provides an inference of the present competitive student body. The proceeding scene of a ceremonial preparation, following with the honorable ceremony itself, alludes to the audience a prolonged tradition. As the students and staff members enter the old yet authoritative chapel holding flags displaying principles of discipline, excellence and so forth, the families’ expressions foster pride for their boys. This esteemed private school offering honorable education insists on excellence in adamant and intelligent young men, while the stern looks of students reveal a certain madness and passion for the competitive curriculum and atmosphere. 

Saved

Stargirl

http://sninny.blogspot.com/2010/10/stargirl-by-jerry-spinelli.html
After attracting my eye by the simplicity of the cover, this blue book beholding at the center a green stick-figured girl and a bright yellow star above her head, I immediately grabbed this novel. The title is the same as the name of the main character, Stargirl. This character is an effervescent and very amiable teenage girl, and this story revolves around her, and another boy. Centering on the impact she makes on the people and the community, the storyline takes place in a town of the state of Arizona.  One of the most memorable scenes that I recollect whenever I think of Stargirl is the first day when she attended Mica High, where she meets the student body and eventually meets Leo Borlock.  The school environment and the people as described by the boy are mundane and very monotonous that the conformity of the school is irksome. When this bright and happy girl, who wears pioneer dresses and carries her pet rat, enters the school, she enters with her spirited and energetic self. She does not hide her “star” eminence, and she does not pretend to be like any of the dispassionate students. Through the hallways, she skips, dances, hums, and sings while she plays on her delightful ukulele.  At lunch, she would eat her food peacefully, but she would eventually stand up, take out her instrument, and  serenade someone for his/her birthday. Even if there was no birthday that day, she would find some sort of achievement or doing, small or big to celebrate. As one of the most cheerful persons in the world, she still spares time to perform random acts of kindness for everyone. While she animatedly goes through her days at school, the student body has feelings of admiration, shock, annoyance, and curiosity. From her arrival, Stargirl had brought life to the school by her constant enthusiasm and elated behavior, but she seemed more like the life of the school since she was the most happy and playful creature to ever enter this town. The conflict Leo encounters has more to do with himself than with her. The two had commenced a relationship on mutual affections for one another, and he sincerely loved her benevolence, wildness, and charms. Nevertheless, after the basketball incident in which Stargirl rooted for the opposing team (she was oblivious to the customs of sports culture), the student body despised her and her “Starboy”, thus making him feel “invisible” and ungrateful for her qualities. He loved her, but did not want to lose her, therefore he pushed for her to change. She did, but only for a short and unsuccessful time. She returned to her normal usual self and still cared for the boy who once asked her for the impossible and painful choice of conforming.  At the end of the novel, she attended a dance, and struck the students with the same exuberant behavior at the beginning. They fell in love with her again, and appreciated her, but too late, because the next day, Stargirl moved away. Leo learns of the news, and feels disappointed.  This short-read novel taught Leo and me that a majestic soul is carried in all of us, and that we should protect our own “star” beauty. 

Elements of Observation; Pharrell William's Crib in Miami

Layout

-Exterior; there is vegetation around the outside portion of the home

-On the balcony the pillars and the outside pool is surrounded by organized and jovial green plants.

- The House offers a view of Miami life and the beach right off the balcony.

-The tropic environment and sunny location of Miami is an advantage for this home.

-The sun, when shown on the surface of the home, the beauty of the home is elevated. Having a white base for the entire home and given the sun, the house is eccentrically beautiful.

Style

-There is a Cuban/Latin essence, especially with the additional colorful decorations

-There is an artistic architecture of the home

-The modern winding stairs is a lavish addition to the home.

-The upper level is a complementary extension of the home that adds beauty as well as modern characteristics to the home.

-The immense stair case to the large plateau-like upper level evokes power and riches.

Space

-The large home gives  abundant room for euphoric decorations, which Pharell has taken advantage of with his taste in art and adornments.

-The wide open space gives a fresh, open, and comfort setting, whereas small compact homes may give an unpleasant and taut feeling.

Color

 –Explosion of white complimented with modern wood flooring and metal railings are a great combination.

-The effervescent colors of furnishings and decorations give the home a "kidult" feeling (word used by Pharrel Williams)

--The white interior and exterior of the house is expressed well with warm or daylight lighting

Decorations/furnishings

-Surrounding the house, the collection of cartoon and popular characters embellish the white colored home.

-Fun figures include Stewey and Brianf from the comedy show “Family Guy”. These decorations can be inferred to be favorites of the homeowner.

-For some decorations, there is an addition of lights that complement the adornment. –

-There are also vintage/designer furnishings.

-abstract furnishings include the glass piano, the white bubble figure, and the large sung-shaped light atop the upper level.

Explosive with flamboyant colorful and chimerical furnishings, spacious with a white and fresh setting, styled in a unique modern construction, and set in a lively city, the Miami home articulates jubilant and passionate individuality. 

Literacy Narrative

     As a reader, my reading habits have slowly evolved since the time of elementary school. At a young age, my interest in reading was almost nonexistent. Even though I would participate in reading programs, I read usually only picture books and short stories. Occasionally I would read a few novels, but the full impact of reading was never fully experienced or appreciated until I read "White Fang" when I was in the last years of elementary school. I picked up that book as an award from finishing a reading program. The public library offered me one free book to keep. Looking through the boxes, I was attracted to the image of the white majestic wolf-dog on the cover of the book. Commencing on the first and ending on the last page, I fell in love with this animal.  From that reading experience, I learned how to enjoy to read. I learned how to infuse myself into the story and visualize the plot from the character's viewpoint. The practice was effortless and enjoyable. When I was finished reading a story, I no longer seemed stoic afterwards. There was life in these books that I cherished and wanted to experience for myself. Yet throughout the later years, I would still only keep one or two books off to the side to read. Other than those one or two books, I only read the school assigned books. The books outside of school were usually popular fiction and romance. After some time, I grew tired of the same material being tossed into my head. Dropped off at Barnes and Nobles and encouraged by my mother to find a book to read so that I would make some use of the summer, I headed towards unknown territory -the classic Literature section. Instead of reading the usual popular vampire and overly done romance novels, I tried for something new, and this section of the store offered areas of literature I was not aware of before. The unknown territory has become my favorite territory in my reading life. Initially I was a seldom reader, and then an occasional reader. From the beginning of 2011 and especially this new year, I hope to read a substantial amount of books in a broad range of different genres.