Journal 1
August 24, 2001
Question: What is the purpose of the use of light and dark in The Matrix as opposed to the purpose of these aspects in Plato's "Allegory of a Cave."
Answer: To me, these two works are extremely contradictory in terms of the use of light and darkness. In The Matrix, the actual matrix was bright and involved sunlight, but the "real world" (the world containing the Nebuchadnezzar) was dark and gray. "Allegory of a Cave," however, spoke of the cave world as the darkness and of the upper world as light.
I believe that the conflicting views on good being lightness or darkness is rather confusing. Is everything that is reliable sunny and warm? Or is just the opposite true? Plato seems to be absolutely sure that he has the answer to every problem in the world. In "Allegory of a Cave," I think that Plato believes that the people in the cave represent the common person in the world, and that only philosophers, like himself, have been freed to see the "upper world." He seems to imply that until you have been released from your chair in the cave you are "in the dark" about the real world.
The Matrix seems to show that darkness is truth. The bright world of the matrix is just a facade. The characters dressed in black seem to reiterate this point repeatedly during the movie. Perhaps, they wore black because they were "in the dark" about who was the One. I believe this might be the case because when Switch began to believe, she began wearing white into the matrix world , as if she became enlightened. So, is it true that ignorance is bliss, or perhaps is there only darkness in ignorance?
Journal 2
August 31, 2001
Question: Is Tank from The Matrix like a pathway from slavery to freedom for the other characters in the movie?
Answer: Tank from The Matrix is like a pathway from slavery to freedom for the other characters in the movie because as his name suggests, he is a receptacle. Tank contains the knowledge and ability to control the other inhabitants of the Nebuchadnezzar while they are in the Matrix. He is the operator of the programs that send them back and forth.
While Tank may be considered a minor character in the movie, he, in fact, is invaluable . An alternate definition for the word "tank" is to beat, thrash, or overwhelm. This helps us to understand how he beat Cypher when Cypher was trying to take over the Nebuchadnezzar. Without Tank's help, Morpheus, Neo and Trinity may never have gotten back out of the Matrix.
As the definition of the word "pathway" suggests, Tank is also a line of communication. He is the other character's link to all knowledge. When Trinity needs to be programmed to fly the helicopter, Tank is there. Every time they get trapped and need a way out, Tank is there to find them a pathway.
Tank is a pathway from slavery to freedom because the inhabitants of the Nebuchadnezzar believe that the Matrix is slavery. They believe that the Matrix is a dominating influence and that all of its inhabitants are simply being controlled into giving in to it. Freedom, for these same characters, is the Nebuchadnezzar. Although the world of the Nebuchadnezzar is not perfect by any means, it allows them to live free from the restraint of the makers of the Matrix.
Journal 3
September 6, 2001
To be extremely honest, I know very little about musical performance or interpretation . However, I will try to convey my personal feeling from and about the play, and how I feel it is connected to our course texts.
Pianist Dr. Mark Zeltser made very clear the connection between the pieces he selected and the text we are currently studying. The pieces he performed (and beautifully so I might add) were pieces that were could be perceived in extremely Dionysian and/or Apollonian ways. Although we have not studied Apollo, from class discussion I know that he was orderly and logical. Dionysus, in contrast, was chaotic, emotionally driven, and creative. Dr. Zeltser played pieces by Bach, Scarlati, and Schubert to portray an Apollonian style of music. He played pieces by Liszt and Rachmaninoff to portray the Dionysian style.
An interesting connection Dr. Zeltser made was that our right brain is directly associated with Dionysian style. The right brain is that which is creative, poetic, and linguistic . The left brain is the opposite. Apollonian style is represented in the left brain. This brain is connected to structure, predictability, and form.
In a way, this concept of Dionysian and Apollonian conflict is present in almost everything we study, read, and interpret. These aspects are present in our lives everyday . Do we not struggle with the concepts of right and wrong? Do we not choose between chaos (fun) and logic everyday? Only when these concepts exist as one (as Dr. Zeltser proved they could in the ending of his performance) can true harmony be realized.
See a pianist's point of view.
Journal 4
September 20, 2001
Apollonians, do you feel like the actions of Orestes in Sophocles’s Electra were justifiable?
Well, having a vast knowledge of this event, I would have to agree with the actions of Orestes. In his place, I feel that I would also believe that the place of king of Argos belonged to me, not my mother’s new husband Aegisthus or any of their children.
In all honesty, Electra was pretty forceful in telling Orestes what she thought he should do, and who would go against his own flesh and blood (especially when she is a character like Electra)? Killing your own mother is a very strong task to take on. However, women are not nearly as valuable as men. Therefore, killing Clytaemnestra was small in comparison to the death of Agamemnon. Men belong in places of power, women are just weak.
As for having everyone believe that Orestes was already deceased, I believe that this plan of action was carefully thought out as the story proceeded in an extremely Apollonian way (which I personally enjoy). If Clytaemnestra thought that Orestes was alive and knew that he was coming to Argos, she would have just had someone wait on him and kill him first. Orestes thought out and designed his plan very logically so that he would not encounter enemies. For this, we Apollonians commend him. Structure is important in every moment of our everyday life. Orestes’ plan was a great example of this. Remember structure, logic, and planning, with these traits, anything is possible (even a double murder)!
Journal 5
September 24, 2001
As with Electra, the soap opera I watched this week began by setting a scene of what was going on. The Young and the Restless briefly summarized the current problems facing its characters in its opening. Electra opened the same way.
Both texts are rather "far-fetched" dramas. There is an overabundance of sorrow, family problems, and deceit. Electra weeps about everything in her life. She mourns for her father, her brother, her sister, even her sadness! Characters in soap operas seem to always feel some sort of sorrow and self pity. In this particular episode of The Young and the Restless an adolescent girl, Colleen, was feeling self pity because her biological father and mother could not take a family portrait with her. This was because her biological father, Brad, did not raise her and Brad's new wife Ashley was jealous. Also, the man that raised Colleen with her mother was having an affair with another woman. Anyway, you can get the idea that soap operas a just a bit dramatic!
In Electra, Electra is not much older than adolescence if any. She pities herself because her mother and her mother's lover kill her father. This directly ties into how Colleen's biological father is trying to enter her life for the first time in her life now that her stepfather is gone. These two aspects are linked because of a struggle for a father figure. Both Electra and Colleen lose their father figure and look for other ways to fill this void.
Journal 6
September 28, 2001
On September 25th, Professor S. Giora Shoham generously gave a lecture on Valhalla, Calvary, and Auschiwitz. This event was held in Hurley Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. Professor Shoham is a former Deputy Attorney General of Israel, has written 78 books, and speaks 12 languages. While these are just a very few of his accomplishments, I believe that they are some of the most intriguing.
Professor Shoham spoke on the aspect of mythology as an explanation for the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust. He stated the mythology is a "link between nature and culture." Also, that mythology is a link for person to person, person to society, and group to group. I had never looked as mythology in this way. Professor Shoham opened my eyes to a new way of thinking.
Professor Shoham stated that "Hitler saw German myth as a guiding light for his country." Hitler was portrayed by Professor Shoham as being blinded by the power of Germanic mythology. An example of this was that when Hitler and his people signed a pact to destroy the European Jews, they drank cognac and perform ed tribal pagan dances on the tables in a frenzy of pagan ecstasy.
Professor Shoham thoroughly explained his theory and provided many examples of why it could happen that way. He even provided qualifications by saying that the Nazi Holocaust was not the work of one simple phenomenon, but a result of many significant factors. As a result of attending this lecture, my mind was opened to a new way of looking at mythology and the harm it can cause. I also realized that many actions are a result of many factors that we may have never considered. Believing in this mythological view point as a factor for this horrendous event is very important. However, it is cowardly to just believe that Hitler was a "reincarnation of a German king of war." It is important to remember that Hitler was still responsible for his actions and that no reincarnation or blindness caused by mythology can excuse this.
Journal 7
October 8, 2001
A Kindling Significance
A single flame burning in the night air
Tossing and turning as the cold breeze blows,
Tonight stands for eternity and hope.
This spark, refusing to give in to spite,
Symbolizes the unity of two.
Little do we know, but come morning, fire
Represents something very different .
Sparks igniting in the night represent
Destruction, yet defense of our freedom.
And here we come to see how a sole spark
Can take on many different meanings.
In essence, one blaze portrays the future
And the many opportunities that,
With hard work and endurance bring us joy.
Journal 8
October 12, 2001
King Henry V and The Weather
Saturday night of Fall Break, I attended a gorgeous outdoor wedding and reception. The wedding began at 7:00 p.m., and naturally, it was about 20 degrees outside (I'm exaggerating just a bit, but...). I, of course, did not think about the temperature while I was dressing for the occasion and chose clothing that was more trendy than insulating. So, while I was trying to be relatively social and talk to all my high school friends, close friends of my family, and relatives, in the back of my mind I was thinking "Please get me out of here and into some warmer clothes!" This is when I remembered King Henry V's "pep rally" to the youth of England who were fighting for him. I could not be passive and modest and give in to the weather, just as the youth could not give in to the French (and the winter). I had to "imitate the action of the tiger" (III. 1. 6.). More specifically, I had to "conjure up the blood" (III. 1. 7). This had to be achieved not from my opposition, but from inside myself, for warmth! In conclusion, I have to admit that King Henry V's words helped me to remain sane (well, warm at least) while dealing with endless numbers of old friends and acquaintances throughout the ENTIRE reception.