The Songs in The Body

 On the page 299, at the very beginning of the chapter 3, the author mentions four songs: "What in the World's Come Over You" by Jack Scott, "This Time" by Troy Shondell, "King Creole" by Elvis, a"Only the Lonely" by Roy Orbison. Listening to these musics, I could imagine the ambience and time setting of 1960s better. These songs and videos may seem outdated and boring, but these songs will sound good when you read the novel at the same time. These songs are like OSTs, that make you imagine the scenary of the Club House and the three boys.

What in World's Come Over You

This Time

King Creole

Only the Lonely

Assignment#4 Metafiction

I Love Snow!

 

 Winter has come and the streets are full of shiny Christmas trees and couples of people are walking down with happy smiles. Winter, it is my favorite season; I love the winter morning when the whole world shines in clean snow. Winter also reminds me my high school life. I used to hate winter since our feet suffered every morning in a freezing gym, doing morning exercise. I remember that I and my roommates almost shouted for the joy when there was no morning exercise due to a snow storm in the middle of April. Since I graduated from KMLA, so many things have changed, but the snow has always made my heart beats. Now, as an adult, I sometimes miss my school year; I complaint about busy and tiring life, yet I also found happiness from the littlest things. My dream was to become a journalist in KMLA, but somehow I became a short story writer, instead. I just sent my last short story for children. I just finished my new short story for children. I reminded of Sunday morning of a winter vacation when I wrote the story. I wish Ms. Morgan enjoy this story and give me a good feedback.

 

 

Ms. Morgan was holding a brown envelop leaning back on a big chair. The name ‘J.S.M‘ was printed neatly at the side of the envelop. “Another piece from J.S.M Hmm….” She opened the envelop and began reading the letter.

Three Wishes

I woke up in the morning at 6a.m. I looked out the window, and… it was snowing! Yeah! Then, I found something odd; it was September. So, how could it be snowing? It must be a miracle. And then I noticed something else: the house was… warmer then when it was not snowing. How could that be? ‘Today is full of mysterious things,” I wondered.

 

“Snow in September….” Morgan reminded her hometown in Montana, ten years ago. It was September and she was on the way to her mother’s home during her vacation. She was listening to radio, humming the song along. Suddenly, she saw tiny snowflakes landing on the window. It was powdery, smooth snow. First snow in September on the way to comforting hometown listening to All Time Love…. The memory is too romantic and too sweet to forget. Ms. Morgan continued reading with a dim smile.

 

I pulled a jacket over my shoulders and walked toward the stairs. I hesitantly placed my hands on the railway and hoped it would support me for what I just then saw. Over the window, my father had two suitcases with him, and was putting on his hat. I walked on the corridor, and again something strange was happening. I walked forward and suddenly a lamp on the ceiling stumbled my feet: It was the ceiling that I was walking on! I tried to get out of the house through the window. Then I saw a strange cat with golden fur. She looked like Cheshire, the cat in an old fairy tale, Alice in the Wonderland.

 

 “Alice and Wonderland! It was her favorite tale!" Ms. Morgan met the young writer a few months ago for publishing her new novel. Ms. Morgan found her interesting as she was very shy and quiet yet had glittering eyes of children. She said that her favorite story is "Alice and Wonderland", blushing a little. She said quietly, "I like Luis Carole because he let the free imagination of children as imagination itself". She was again introducing the readers in her snowy wonderland with her Chesire cat.

The thing was very clear: that I was standing on the ceiling looking at the cat in snowy day, and that I was not dreaming. The fairy tale that I’ve been always daydreaming was happening to me. The golden cat suddenly said, “I’ll give you three wishes.” I, without any hesitating, said, “Put me back on the floor, lower the temperature as normal snowy day, and get out of my house!”

 

She could not help, but laugh at this moment. ‘What a J.S. like humor! She loves fantasy, yet she never forgets to come back to a real life.' Talking with J.S., Ms. Morgan was a little surprised because of her frankness. She did not dare to express her thought or feeling even if it was sometimes eccentric. J. S. was surely not a romantist, but not a pragmatist, either. She was just a writer who was content of her everyday life.

Everything turned normal. Yes, it did. The cat jumped out of the window and disappeared with a whispery “mew”… Out of the window, snowy furry white snow was falling silently. I sighed with a dim smile. Now, I can enjoy my early Christmas making snowman and skating. Dad waved his hands, and I ran out stepping on the white blanket.

 

 'Cute, little story. She comes out of fantasy and enjoys her reality, but still beautiful. Three wishes could be used for luxuries and fancies, but she rather chose the little thing to enjoy her special day with her father. I like it.'

Ms. Morgan stands up from the chair and looks outside. People are passing the street, covered with white snow. She holds up her telephone and puts on her coat. 

In class writing#1 Spring by Kim Ki Duk

This short film reminded me my trip to temple, Daewoongsa, last summer, and my childhood experience. I visited Daewoongsa after the summer session with my friend. We did temple stay there for 3 days, and it was a special experience for me. I liked calm and ascetic atmosphere in the temple. At the very first scene, when the adult monk opened the door, I was tempted by the beautiful scene of the pond and the temple. I wish I could find out where the temple in the movie, and hopefully visit there next vacation.
The other thing I reminded during the movie was my childhood. I think the cute, little monk in the film reflects my childhood, or everyone's childhood. Children usually have little fear about new or dangerous thing. The little monk is not even scared of a snake. Sometimes, this courage and curiosity work as the advantage of childhood, but sometimes they result in a bitter experience. The boy ties the animals to rocks just for fun, but he never expects that his joke will cause death. He sheds bitter tears at the last scene. I have similar experience that started with a simple curiosity and ended with bitter tears. When I was in elementary school, I usually went along with four or five friends. We were all in the same class and lived in the same town. Two of them were acquanted with me since we were in kindergarten. One day, I played with one of the friends in her house. For some reason, may be just for fun, I told a lie. I said that one of the others said that she does not fit in us. I thought it would end at that moment, but it did not. The girl I played with asked about it to the other friend. I faced a huge difficulty to explain the situation. I was regretful about my thoughtlessness and I made up my mind to never, ever make such a thoughtless mistake. Still, I sometimes make similar mistakes, embarassed by the snowballed rumor. But, through that experience, that kind of bitter experience is the way to the adulhood, realizing the bitter, and harsh world.

Hero's Journey - Mulan

Mulan and Hero's Journey

1. Ordinary World
 Mulan lives with her family. Her parents want her to get married, yet Mulan is very different from other decent women.
2. Call to Adventure
 Father is forced to join the army.
3. Refusal to Call
 Mulan tells his father to ignore the call, but her father makes his mind to join the army.
4. Meeting with the mentor
 Mulan prays to ancestors and meets a dragon named Mushu.
5. Crossing the Threshold
 Mulan join the army pretending to be a boy.
6. Tests, allies, and enemies
 Mulan makes new friends in the army and impresses the general by climbing a pole, which is a hard training.
7. Approach to Inmost Cave
 The army gradually moves to the battle site and Mulan gets more training.
8. Ordeal
 Battle with Huns.
9. Reward
 Mulan successfuly wins the battle and save the general's life. However, the general finds out that Mulan is a girl.
10. Road Back
 Mulan and her friends go to the palace to rescue the emperor.
11. Resurrection
 Mulan rescues the emperor using her bright wisdom.
12. Return with the Elixir
 Mulan is respected by the citizens and goes back to her family with the general.

Reading Journal#1. Rita Hayworth and Shawsank Redemption

 

Character Analysis in ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawsank Redemption’

After reading ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawsank Redemption’, many students complained about ‘expectable’ endings; why would Andy get a rockhound and a poster if he was not to escape from the Shawsank? Actually, their complaints are quite reasonable. In fact, the word ‘redemption’ was directly used for the name of the story itself. Then why has this story been praised and admired so much? Though I could not defend the greatness of Shawsank Redemption in class, now I can explain how Andy and other prisoners have affected my view toward hope and institutionalization.

When I watched the Shawsank Redemption, I understood the theme of the story as hope and institutionalization: I actually first watched the film a few years ago. This theme was well presented in the film by comparing four characters: Brooks, Tommy, Andy and Red. In the novella, these characters are not depicted as clearly as in the film, because the film had to show the situations and thoughts through scenes and actors while the novel could flexibly use the narrator, Red, and make Andy more mysterious. I think the each way of illustration has both weak and strong points, but I would like to reflect the way of the film as its first impression is deeply carved inside me.

Brooks Hatlen has been a librarian in Shawsank for 20 years. He was one of the few educated prisoners. Although he is introduced only briefly in the novel, Brooks is quite an important character in the movie. Brooks is a prisoner who has been perfectly institutionalized: He is an important person in the prison, and he does not complain about the poor and forceful environment anymore. Like Red said, he has been trained to like the Shawsank, and has been kicked out when he lost the last probability of being useful in the outside world. He is afraid and nervous about being paroled; he even tried to commit a crime again to go back. To Brooks, the prison was his life and he didn’t expect anything about the change or freedom. He exemplifies the victims who were taken away the lives and were returned when they were institutionalized.

 Tommy Williams is a young prisoner who admires Andy. He is a habitual thief, and has been in various prisons. He settles himself the prison and Andy helped him for the test of high school diploma. One day, he hears about why Andy came in the Shawsank: the teller was Red in the film and a laundry partner in the novel. In the original story, Tommy is simply a guy who gives a piece of proof that Andy is innocent, but the movie goes further about Tommy. While Andy is in the solitary, Tommy receives his high school diploma. However, a few days later, he is killed by Hadley, because Norton does not want Tommy being witness for Andy. Unlike Brooks, Tommy still has a dream to receive the high school diploma and to become a good father and husband: Andy is both his mentor and his role model. He wants prepare in the prison and restart his life when he goes out. Yet, his dream is sacrificed by warden who needs Andy for ‘the laundry’. The fundamental reason why Tommy could not make his goal is because the wardens’ indifference and ignorance toward the individual lives of prisoners. If wardens understand that the prisoners are also humans, one’s fathers, brothers, and sons, there would not be frustrated people such as Brooks and Tommy.

 Andy Dufresne, the protagonist, reminds hope and freedom to cons, and he makes his way to freedom. Though he has not murdered his wife, his innocence is not the only reason for his hope and eagerness to freedom. He actually thinks he has killed her wife indirectly, by being cold to his wife and having let her leave. The real thing that supports Andy to dream is his belief and capacity. He says, “Hope is a good thing, and good thing never disappears.” He believes he can go to Zihuatenejo in some day, and he is ready to wait. Moreover, he is the only man who really acts out to be free; maybe that is why Andy can be referred as a hero. He shifted his position in the prison by managing the tax returns of wardens. The reason why Andy is an admirable and not so expectable character is combination of his patience, strong belief, and his own capability.

Finally, Red is not only a narrator but also a close friend with Dufresne in the movie. He has lived in the Shawsank for 40 years, which is long enough to lose all the expectations and hopes just like Brooks did. However, Red realizes the value of hope and freedom from Andy. At first, he recommends Andy give up any hope, but later Andy proves that dream can come true by escaping from the Shawsank. After the redemption, Red misses Andy, but admits that some people want and have enough right for freedom. After Red is paroled, Red lives in a hotel room where Brooks has lived. Red is afraid and unfamiliar with the outside world just like Brooks. However, unlike Brooks, Red has a reason for living; he wants to keep the promise with Andy, and find his friend again. On the way to Zihuatenejo, Red finally realizes the value of freedom and hope. Red is not as educated or clever as Andy, but he is able to overcome the institutionalization because of his great friend.

 These four people can express the four characters of general people: some are passive about their fate, some want to escape but be frustrated, some lead the changes, and some succeed by meeting a great mentor. Most people are similar with Brooks; they just yield to the present thinking, ‘That’s the way it is.’ However, a few people like Andy Dufresne challenge to make difference and make the world better. ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawsank Redemption’ reminds people who give up before any trial that the dreams and hope can free us from frustration.