James+Lee

Just as Aeneas, in Vergil’s //Aeneid//, sets out on a heroic journey for the love of his country, so too does Fa Mulan of the 1998 Walt Disney Feature Animation //Mulan// embark on a patriotic quest.
 * Assignment 7: June, 2011**

 In Vergil’s //Aeneid//, a valiant Aeneas travels away from his beloved homeland of Troy for the purpose of begetting the Roman race. In the movie //Mulan//, the ruthless Huns invade China, which forces the Chinese government to issue a general mobilization of the country, requiring one man from each family to join the defense effort. When Fa Mulan realizes that her elderly father, the only male in her household, will have to fight, she disguises herself as a man and takes her father’s place in the army against the Huns. Similar to how Aeneas left his country for the Roman race or family, Mulan departs far from her home for the sake of protecting her family. Though in different ways, Aeneas and Mulan both leave their homes for common causes: Aeneas to spread his Trojan culture and for the upbringing of the Roman race and Mulan to protect her native country China from the forces of the Huns and for her family’s safety. It is certain that two constants in both journeys are a sense of nationalistic pride and significance of family.

In both journeys, divine entities play an influential role. In //Mulan//, Mulan’s father Fa Zhou finds out that Mulan took his place, and so prays to his ancestors, who order their Great Stone Dragon to help and protect her. Ultimately though, this Great Stone Dragon fails to come to life and so Mushu, a smaller, less intimidating and even perhaps less useful dragon tags along with Mulan. In the //Aeneid//, Juno makes Aeneas' journey all the more difficult, as Aeneas experiences Juno’s wrath firsthand. Though these divinities play different roles, they certainly have a large impact on the journeys of both Mulan and Aeneas.

 Aeneas, on his rather lengthy journey to his destination of Latium, confronts many obstacles and many difficulties. He is required to overcome howling winds, thrashing tempests, and the fury of Juno, the queen of the gods herself. Mulan, too, travels far, witnessing every nook and cranny of China, including, but not limited to the mountainous regions and also the Imperial City. Mulan overcomes the difficulties of having to disguise her real identity, physical labors that conventionally only men should have to participate in, the constant threat imposed by the Huns, and possibly worst of all, the betrayal and abandonment of her fellow country-people based on her gender.

 Finally, Aeneas and Mulan both demonstrate an immense show of dedication and devotion to their countries. Aeneas leaves his own wife in recognition of the importance of his fated duty to establish and prolong the Roman race, and to acculturate and influence others with the customs of his Trojan heritage. Mulan, despite facing immense prejudice based on her gender from her fellow soldiers, still decides to help them fight the ruthless forces of the Huns. This is a tremendous show of patriotism, as it exemplifies that her love for her country prompts her to sacrifice her womanhood for the sake of the safety of her country.


 * Assignment 6: April, 2011**

The development of Pygmalion and Galatea are reciprocal to that of Victor Frankenstein and his unnamed creation.

 In Mary Shelley’s __Frankenstein__, Victor Frankenstein seeks to apply life to inanimate matter, and the monster he uses to accomplish his goal serves as the appropriate medium. Victor is driven by his insatiable hunger and pursuit of knowledge, as he is displeased with humankind’s inability to control life. This theme, the quest for further knowledge, is at the heart of__Frankenstein__//,// as Victor attempts to surge beyond accepted human limits and accesses the secret of life. In the same vein, Pygmalion thirsts for more than that is offered by human limits. He finds the conventional woman to be fraught with superficiality and wickedness. Mildly put, Pygmalion’s encounters with women leave him with more to be desired. To cope with his discontent, Pygmalion forms his own ideal woman in statue form, Galatea, decorating her with various adornments. Frankenstein and Pygmalion both suffer from the same problem: they are discontent with human deficiencies and yearn for something beyond what their current circumstances offer to them. This desire, and in a sense greed, inspires them to defy normal human limits and transcend what is conventionally thought to be acceptable.

 Victor and Pygmalion could not achieve their ends without external help. The means by which both of their human-made works of inanimate substances come to life and fruition are similar: both are ultimately animated by supernatural entities. Galatea is given life through the by Venus, the goddess of love herself. Likewise it is most commonly interpreted that Victor’s monster came to being through a power source of lightning. How Victor was able to harness and use the lightning as his power source is unmentioned.

 In his attempt to produce life with inanimate matter, Victor, intentionally or not, commits a crime to the female gender. In the 19th-century when __Frankenstein__ was written, women’s major, if not sole, role was to produce offspring. In trying to create life without the role of the female, Victor stripped females of this distinguishing quality, affronting females. In the same vein, Pygmalion is disgusted with the women of the world, namely the Propoetides, and in an attempt to create the perfect woman, something that he deems out of existence in the real world, literally builds his own woman. By doing so, he disrespects women, considering the all women to be unworthy. Both Victor and Pygmalion’s actions commit an injustice to women.

The manner in which both Victor and Pygmalion undertake their projects are alike: they both devote their entire being to their works. Victor spends three seasons on the creation of his monster and even grows very ill, as he does not tend to his own health for the sake of the monster. Similarly, Pygmalion exhaustively cares for his statue, regularly caressing, kissing, and talking to it. Their lives are consumed by the production and tending of their creations. Out of contempt of their respective circumstances, Victor and Pygmalion seek ways to escape the confines of reality and produce works to transcend actuality. For Victor, it is his monster, and for Pygmalion, it is Galatea.

On many levels, the metamorphosis of Arachne mirrors that of Tom Marvolo Riddle, the central antagonist of the Harry Potter series.
 * Assignment 5: March 11, 2011**

From modest origins, Tom Marvolo Riddle grows up as an orphan. Riddle himself was originally a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and performs overwhelmingly well on every school examination he takes. He was even thought to be the most talented pupil to ever attend Hogwarts; this goes to his head and soon he becomes consumed with conceit, and flees the schoo, thinking the professors could no longer teach him anything of use. Riddle goes on to assume the self-proclaimed name of Voldemort. He gathers an army of various dark forces, and dubs this army the Death Eaters. With this army, he hopes to take over the entire wizarding world, but ultimately fails to do so.

Similarly, Arachne grows up receiving much praise regarding her talents as a weaver, said to rival those of Pallas Minerva herself. Soon enough, just as Riddle’s success affected him, the laudatory comments that Arachne receives inflates her ego, to a detrimental extent. Arachne becomes so overcome with arrogance that she thinks she could best the goddess herself, Minerva. She goes so far as to challenge Minerva to a weaving contest, and Arachne actually even surpasses Minerva. However, Arachne is turned into a spider for having challenged a goddess. Likewise, Voldemort thought he could defy the greater good of the wizarding world. *SPOILER ALERT* To his dismay, he is killed by Harry Potter, who by extension, saves the wizarding community.

Though Voldemort does not necessarily experience a metamorphoses in the strict definition of the word, he transforms from the handsome, polite, and popular Tom Riddle, to the unsightly and incredibly evil villain. In the same vein, Arachne not only experiences metamorphoses in the literal sense, but also in that she changes from a talented young weaver, to a defiant and over confident rebel of the deities. It is true that both Voldemort and Arachne demonstrated much potential in their respective fields at an early age. However, they both let the acclaim they received have injurious effects on them. Voldemort and Arachne alike defied governing entities, the Ministry of Magic and a divine being respectively, as a result of their hubris.

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media type="file" key="10 On The Sunny Side Of The Street.mp3" width="240" height="20" (singing starts at 4:22)
 * Assignment 4: January 7, 2011**

Grabbin off your hats, coats, boots, and everything Leave your worries on the doorstep cause we goin by and by just direct your feet, you look neat On the sunny side of the street

Can’t you hear the pitter and the patter of the raindrops trickling Down your fire life could be so fine..fine as wine

I used to walk, walk in the shade With my blues on parade <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">but I’m not afraid <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">this rover crossed over

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">If I never had one cent <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d be rich as Rockefeller <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Gold dust at my feet <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">On the sunny side of the street

Though unlikely comparable works, I found that the themes present in the lyrics of Dizzy Gillespie’s //On the Sunny Side of the Street// were similar to those of Horace 2.10. Both works conceive a similar message: to disregard present tribulations for they are only natural and will ultimately pass.

//<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">On the Sunny Side of the Street //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">advises the listener not to stress over tribulations and to “leave your worries on the doorstep ‘cause [they will] go by and by.” Gillespie attempts to unveil the undeniable truth: that worrying will not help in anyway; you must move on and accept things as they are, for times //will// indeed get better. Horace promotes a similar notion. He explains, “if now it is bad, and someday it will not be thus” (//si male nunc [est], et olim non sic erit//). Both Horace and Gillespie stress the importance of moving on with one’s life despite present hardships.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Another message that is present in both works is the ultimate lack of worth in material success. In the tune, Gillespie proclaims that “If I never had one cent, I’d be rich as Rockefeller, gold dust at my feet.” Here, Dizzy tries to demonstrate that whether penniless and indigent, or as wealthy as Rockefeller (“successful” American oil magnate), he’d have been the same person. Ultimately, material wealth would amount to “gold dust:” nothing. Horace, though different in his description of this human fallacy that material success=happiness, presents a similar idea that those who accumulate wealth are not always the most well off. Ode 2.10 discusses the ultimate demise of individuals who search strictly for superficial prosperity: “the lofty towers topple with a rather heavy crash and lightning strikes the highest mountains” (//turret decidunt graviore casu celsae fulgera feriuntque summos montes//). Horace entices the reader with the thought that those who live ostentatiously, boasting their wealth and influence, will experience hardship as much as, if not more often than, everyone else.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Near the conclusion of his poem, Horace commands the reader to “show yourself as brave and bold in stressful circumstances” (//appare fortis atque animosus rebus angustis//). He contends that no matter the tribulations that an individual may face, he/she must swagger with poise. Similarly, the tune prods the listener to “direct [his/her] feet,” to take control of him/herself and move on in spite of societal pressures and expectations. The tune conveys the message that “you look neat;” therefore, be proud of who you are, despite the expectations that others may set for you. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Exude confidence!

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 * Assignment 3: December 5, 2010**

What Catullus illustrates in mocking, and even childish, remarks, Gustav Holst conveys through an orchestrated suite. Holst, known for his unconventional use of meter and haunting melodies, does justice to his reputation in the movement, //Mars, the Bringer of War//.

Holst maintains a sense of uneasiness and tension throughout the piece. Though there are moments of calm, on the whole, the piece is consumed in the strong sound of the brass and the intense buildup of the strings; this sense of uneasiness lends to the listener a feeling of fury. Similarly, Catullus 77 sustains a level of stress and frustration throughout. The poem is filled with very strong words like "//frustra//" and "//malo,//" that convey Catullus’ level of disgust at Rufus’ actions. Catullus assaults Rufus with the accusation of betrayal, and with that, Catullus exudes resentment. Both Holst and Catullus implement tension in their works to demonstrate a common feel of unease and anger.

Both works utilize repetition to highlight the strain that is built up throughout. In //Mars, the Bringer of War,// the constantly recurring melody that begins at 1:27 emphasizes the feel of pain. The melody itself is minor and so it provides the aura of bitterness. The constant pulsing of the instruments contributes to the tense atmosphere the melody sets. Likewise, Catullus uses many words over and over to highlight his intention of conveying his suffering; “frustra,” (in vain), “eripuisti,” (you snatched), and “nostrae,” (ours) are all intentionally repeated to extend to the reader an expression of a distraught Catullus. “Frustra” entails that their friendship was ultimately a fiasco, a friendship that served no purpose. “Nostrae” and “eripuisti” demonstrate the duplicity involved in the relationship, the dishonesty that Rufus committed to Catullus. Though they were friends and therefore shared “good things” (//nostra bona//), Rufus took advantage of Catullus’ trust in him and “crept under [him]” (//subresti//) and did not merely take, but “snatched [them] away” (//eripuisti//).

The swelling of the melody that occurs at 1:00 portrays someone wavering in anger. As Catullus is livid about Rufus’ violation of their friendship, the vacillating melody is comparable to Catullus in his fit of anger. The melody evokes images of someone who is trembling, stammering, and shuddering in aggravation, namely, Catullus. In addition, Catullus uses and repeats the word “eheu” to further express his revulsion of Rufus’ actions; his use of “eheu” is noteworthy because it signifies disappointment and frustration. The pronunciation of “eheu” mirrors that of a sigh, which signifies detest.

Moreover, the melody that begins at 3:18 illustrates a mood of deceit. The soft purring of the strings suggests duplicity in that it calls to forth images of someone sneaking up, someone doing something intentionally furtively. This sense of treachery is paralleled to the way Rufus acts, going behind Catullus and burning up his guts (//subrepsti mi…intestina perurens//). Finally, the chord that is repeated at 6:40 until the end engraves a feeling of unrest into the listener’s mind. Just as Catullus concludes his poem by regarding the friendship as a “plague” (//pestis//), Holst ends his movement on a bad note (pun intended).

media type="custom" key="7412869" <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Come on skinny love just last the year <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Pour a little salt we were never here <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
 * Assignment 2:**
 * November 1, 2010**

<span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">I tell my love to wreck it all <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Cut out all the ropes and let me fall <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Right in the moment this order's tall

<span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be patient <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be fine <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be balanced <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be kind <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And in the morning I'll be with you <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">But it will be a different kind <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I'll be holding all the tickets <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And you'll be owning all the fines

<span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Come on skinny love, what happened here? <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Suckle on the hope in light brassieres <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Sullen load is full, so slow on the split

<span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be patient <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be fine <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be balanced <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I told you to be kind <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And now all your love is wasted <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And then who the hell was I? <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And I'm breaking at the britches <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">And at the end of all your lines

<span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Who will love you? <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Who will fight? <span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 20px;">Who will fall far behind?

Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" vs. Catullus 8

A recent song I came upon, "Skinny Love," has many striking similarities with Catullus 8. Bon Iver exposes his insecurity about the stability of his relationship by basically begging his "skinny love [to] just last the year." Catullus also demonstrates angst and worry about himself and his relationship with Lesbia when he tells himself to "cease to play the fool," which demonstrates that he is fully aware of the foolishness that is the relationship. Bon Iver vividly details the future of his relationship as a "sink of blood and crushed veneer," stirring images of a broken and shattered vase that symbolizes his relationship with his lover, lost forever. Similarly, Catullus tries to persuade himself to give up all emotions for Lesbia, telling himself that what you see to have perished you should consider lost (//quod vides perisse perditum ducas//), as if to say that their relationship is no more.

Both reflect on the once blissful conditions of their relationships. Catullus reminisces about the time when "fulsere quondam candidi tibi soles," while Bon Iver regretfully asks, "what happened here?" as if to say that what they had was once good, but unfortunately went sour. Though both consider the past of their relationships and reflect nostalgically on the positive moments, neither foresee a positive future. Bon Iver tells his lover to "cut out all the ropes and let me fall" to elucidate the fact that he wants no more connection with her; Catullus, more explicitly bids his lover farewell when he says "nec quae fugit..vale, puella." In the end, both lovers are defined by their boorish mannerisms in handling their ultimatums to their lovers. In a fit of insecurity and grief, both attack their lovers to alleviate their own wounds from their respective relationships. Bon Iver's question, "Who will love you?", implicates to his lover that there will be no one to love her anymore, and his question of "Who will fall far behind?" insinuates that she will be the one to fall behind without him, that he himself does not need her. Similarly, Catullus asks Lesbia "//quem nunc te..cui labella mordebis?//" Catullus' questioning parallels that of Bon Iver's because it entails that no one will be there for Lesbia without Catullus, and that Catullus, like Bon Iver, does not need his lover.

<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">Catullus' Poems 5 and 45 <span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">vs. <span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">Nat King Cole's "Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me" <span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">Music by Duke Ellington <span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;">Lyrics by Bob Russell
 * Assignment 1:**
 * October 4, 2010**

**__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me __** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Do nothing till you hear from me, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Pay no attention to what's said. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Why people tear the seams of anyone's dreams <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Is over my head.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Do nothing till you hear from me, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">At least consider our romance. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">If you should take the words of others you've heard, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I haven't a chance.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">True, I've been seen with someone new, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">But does that mean that I've been untrue? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">When we're apart, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The words in my heart <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Reveal how I feel about you.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Some kiss may cloud my memories, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">And other arms may hold a thrill, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">But please, do nothing till you hear it from me-- <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">And you never will.

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">There lie many parallels between Catullus’ poems and Nat King Cole’s “Do Nothing ‘Till You Hear From Me.” Although the similarities are merely coincidental, the striking similarities make it seem as if Bob Russell wrote the song with Catullus’ poems in mind.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">“Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me,” and Catullus 5 share a common theme of a love that is discouraged by external entities. In the song, Nat King Cole says, “Do nothing till you hear from me, pay no attention to what’s said. Why people tear the seams of anyone’s dreams is over my head.” This represents Nat King Cole’s contempt for the apparent false words that are pervading his lover’s thoughts. He questions why anyone would attempt or want to tear him and his lover apart. Similarly, Catullus says, “rumoresque senum severiorum,” which translates to “rumors of strict old men;” the two situations are influenced by an entity that discourages their love. For Nat King Cole, this influence is the false words of others, and similarly for Catullus, it is the rumors of old men.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Also, King Cole admits, “True, I’ve been seen with someone new, but does that mean that I’ve been untrue?”, as if to say that his relations with another person does not necessarily mean that he is being untrue to his lover. Likewise, Lesbia tends to her relationship with Catullus in the same manner. Lesbia is already married and so her relationship with Catullus is technically morally wrong. However, as Catullus describes in Catullus 45, “the **faithful** Acme [Lesbia] takes delight in her one [Catullus].” Although not explicitly said by Lesbia, Catullus speaks for her and conveys to the reader that although Lesbia and Catullus share an unlawful relationship, Lesbia's love for Catullus is “faithful.”

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In toto, Catullus and King Cole's journey for unimpeded love share a common obstruction -- the false words/rumors of others. Also, King Cole's situation is similar to that of Lesbia's because both are consumed in two different romantic relations, and yet they can stay true to unnamed lover and Catullus respectively.